New laptops equipped with Microsoft Windows are set to start shipping to customers next week, but they will be missing a key feature called Recall, which had raised concerns about privacy and cybersecurity.
At a showcase event last month, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella highlighted the new Recall feature, presenting it as a step towards artificial intelligence machines capable of instantly seeing, hearing, and reasoning about users’ intent and surroundings.
Recall operates by periodically taking snapshots of a computer screen, thereby providing Microsoft’s AI assistant Copilot with a “photographic memory” of a user’s virtual activity. This functionality is intended to help users remember their previous actions.
Nadella expressed that the introduction of Recall signifies a new era where computers not only understand users but can anticipate their wants and intentions.
However, the company announced on Thursday that it would delay the “broadly available” preview of Recall, which was originally scheduled to be included with new PCs starting Tuesday.
Instead, the feature will initially be made available to a smaller group of users who are part of the Windows Insider software testing program. These expert early adopters will help ensure that the experience meets Microsoft’s high standards for quality and security, according to Pavan Davaluri, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Windows and devices.
At its annual Build event last month, the software giant introduced a new class of AI-enhanced personal computers as it faces increased competition from Big Tech rivals. These rivals are also promoting generative AI technology capable of composing documents, creating images, and functioning as a lifelike personal assistant for both work and home environments.
The new AI features in Microsoft’s Windows 11 operating system will be available on new high-end computers made by Microsoft partners Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung, as well as on Microsoft’s Surface line of devices.
