Microsoft recently unveiled new exclusive features for devices with integrated NPU chips that meet the “Copilot+ PC” standard. These features include a controversial function called Recall.
To meet the Copilot+ PC standard, Microsoft requires that the computer be equipped with an NPU chip with a 40 TOPS or higher performance. With these systems, users will have access to Recall, a function that takes screenshots every few seconds and stores them on the computer, creating an activity log along with the screenshots. Using artificial intelligence (AI), users can search for content, whether in text or image format.
The images are stored locally on the PC and analyzed without an internet connection, relying on the NPU on the processor. Microsoft emphasizes that the images are not uploaded to their servers for analysis. However, this functionality has raised concerns among experts, including the UK data protection office, which has requested more information from Microsoft about how Recall works and what it does with the data.
Microsoft states that Recall will not capture any content when users are playing DRM-protected content, and all content is protected through BitLocker on PCs running Windows 11 24H2 or later.
Despite the privacy concerns, Microsoft assures users that they can turn off the Recall function in Windows configuration options if they are worried about privacy or simply do not want to use it.