Microsoft’s latest AI tool gives your computer a ‘photographic memory’ – but experts fear it could come at the expense of your privacy.
A new tool called ‘Recall’ automatically takes screenshots of your laptop every few seconds for you to browse later.
Microsoft says that the screenshots are stored locally on your computer and cannot be accessed by the tech giant’s employees or any remote hacker.
However, experts shared concerns that this could make it easier for people to get personal information from your device if it falls into the wrong hands.
AI and privacy consultant Dr Kris Shrishak called the tool a potential “privacy nightmare”.
“The mere fact that screenshots will be taken while using the device could have a chilling effect on people,” he told the BBC.
James Bore, a technical expert at consultancy Bores Group, said the snapshotting tool “could capture information that could not otherwise be stored”, such as passwords, credit card details or login details.
If the laptop falls into the wrong hands, the perpetrator could “access the user’s session and obtain information.”
“The main thing for me would be to make it very easy to activate and deactivate, and ideally to automate that deactivation as much as possible,” Bore told MailOnline.
However, Bore believes that Microsoft, when the company says that no one else can see the screenshots, because “the consequences of lying about something like this massively outweigh any potential benefit.”
MailOnline has contacted Microsoft for comment.
The recall is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft’s new line of Windows laptops powered by the Copilot AI assistant introduced earlier this month.
According to Microsoft, Recall is meant to “solve one of the most frustrating problems we face every day” – searching for websites on a computer.
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With this tool, users can find content they’ve been viewing on their device using search or a timeline bar that lets them scroll back through screenshots.
“With Recall, you can virtually access what you’ve seen or done on your PC in a way that resembles a photographic memory,” says the tech giant.
It adds that Recall can be turned on and off at any time, but the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said it is contacting Microsoft for more information about Recall’s security measures.
An ICO spokesman said: “We are making inquiries with Microsoft to understand what safeguards are in place to protect user privacy.
“We expect organizations to be transparent with users about how their data is used and only process personal data to the extent necessary to achieve a specific purpose.
“Industry must consider data protection from the outset and carefully assess and mitigate risks to people’s rights and freedoms before bringing products to market.”
Microsoft introduced Copilot last fall as it heralded “the entry into a new era of AI” that is changing the way “we benefit from technology.”
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Microsoft would be adding a dedicated AI button to its PCs – and many users weren’t happy about it.
The new range of Windows laptops includes this AI button on the keyboard for quick access to the Copilot chatbot.