Microsoft’s omniscient Recall AI feature is delayed

Microsoft plans to launch modern Copilot Plus computers next week without the controversial Recall feature that displays screenshots of everything you do on these modern laptops. The software developer is pausing the Recall service to test it in the Windows Insider program, after originally promising to make Recall available as an optional feature with additional security improvements.

“We are adapting the Recall release model to leverage the expertise of the Windows Insider community and ensure the experience meets our high quality and security standards,” Microsoft says in updated blog post. “When Recall (preview) becomes available in the Windows Insider program, we will publish a blog post with details on how to obtain the preview.”

This means that Recall will not initially be available even to Windows Insiders or anyone who purchases a Copilot Plus computer. I wrote in the Notebook today that Windows engineers were trying to test and implement security improvements ahead of the June 18 release date for Copilot Plus computers. Now Microsoft is essentially admitting that it needs more time to test Recall’s security improvements.

Microsoft first showed off Recall as part of its upcoming Copilot Plus computers last month, but privacy advocates and security experts have since warned that without changes, Recall could be a “disaster” for cybersecurity. Microsoft committed to rolling out three major updates to Recall last week, including making the AI-powered feature optional instead of enabled by default, database encryption and authentication via Windows Hello.

The Recall app uses local AI models built into Windows 11 to create screenshots of mostly everything you see or do on your computer, then lets you search and download what you see. A clear timeline allows you to scroll through these snapshots to remind yourself of what you did that day on your computer. Everything in Recall is designed to stay local and private on your device, so no data is used to train Microsoft’s AI models.

Microsoft’s decision to delay the recall came on the heels of Vice President and President Brad Smith he testified before the House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security. Smith said that Microsoft puts security above all else with its Secure Future Initiative (SFI). “It’s even more important than the company’s work on artificial intelligence,” Smith says.

Smith also revealed that Microsoft will make security a mandatory part of its twice-yearly review process for all employees. “With this change, cybersecurity will be included in every employee’s annual bonus and compensation,” Smith said.

I reported on the Notebook today that Recall was originally created before Microsoft began its major SFI rebuild. Recall was developed in secret by Microsoft and has not even been publicly tested by Windows Insiders. Microsoft subsequently identified some security issues with Recall and began developing and testing changes to Recall in recent months. Clearly, it now needs more time to make sure these changes deliver on its promise to put security ahead of AI and everything else.