Microsoft’s latest AI-powered tool gives your computer a ‘photographic memory’, but experts worry it could come at the expense of your privacy.
The new tool, called ‘Recall’, automatically takes screenshots of your laptop every few seconds that you can scroll through later.
Microsoft says the screenshots are stored locally on your computer and cannot be accessed by the tech giant’s staff or outside hackers.
However, experts have shared concerns that it could make it easier for people to get personal information from your device if it falls into the wrong hands.
Dr. Kris Shrishak, an AI and privacy consultant, called the tool a potential “privacy nightmare.”
“The mere fact that screenshots are taken while using the device can have a chilling effect on people,” he told the BBC.
James Bore, technology expert at consultancy Bores Group, said the snapshot tool can “capture information that might not otherwise be stored”, such as passwords, credit card details or login details.
If the laptop falls into the wrong hands, a perpetrator can “gain access to the user’s session and obtain the information.”
“The most important thing for me would be to make sure it’s very easy to activate and deactivate, and ideally automate that deactivation as much as possible,” Bore told MailOnline.
However, Bore believes Microsoft when the company says no one else can see the screenshots because “the consequences of lying about something like this vastly outweigh the potential benefits.”
MailOnline has contacted Microsoft for comment.
Recall is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft’s new line of Windows laptops powered by the Copilot AI assistant, which was unveiled earlier this month.
According to Microsoft, Recall is intended to “solve one of the most frustrating problems we encounter every day”: finding web pages on a computer again.
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The tool allows users to find the content they have viewed on their device using the search function, or on a timeline bar that allows them to scroll back through the screenshots.
“With Recall, you can access virtually everything you’ve seen or done on your PC in a way that feels like you have 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) says it is contacting Microsoft for more information about Recall’s security measures.
An ICO spokesperson said: ‘We are inquiring with Microsoft to understand the security measures 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.
“The industry must consider data protection from the outset and rigorously assess and mitigate risks to people’s rights and freedoms before products are brought to market.”
Microsoft unveiled Copilot last fall as it “ushered in a new era of AI” that is changing the way we “take advantage of technology.”
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Microsoft would be adding a dedicated AI button to its computers – and many users weren’t happy about it.
The new line of Windows laptops feature this AI button on the keyboard for quick access to the Copilot chatbot.