It’s a nightmare scenario for Microsoft. The headlining feature of its new Copilot+ PC initiative, which is supposed to drive millions of PC sales over the next couple of years, is under significant fire for being what many say is a major breach of privacy and security on Windows. That feature in question is Windows Recall, a new AI tool designed to remember everything you do on Windows. The feature that we never asked and never wanted it.

Microsoft, has done a lot to degrade the Windows user experience over the last few years. Everything from obtrusive advertisements to full-screen popups, ignoring app defaults, forcing a Microsoft Account, and more have eroded the trust relationship between Windows users and Microsoft.

It’s no surprise that users are already assuming that Microsoft will eventually end up collecting that data and using it to shape advertisements for you. That really would be a huge invasion of privacy, and people fully expect Microsoft to do it, and it’s those bad Windows practices that have led people to this conclusion.

  • jaschen@lemm.ee
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    5 months ago

    Um… I actually want this feature. Maybe if its FOSS and I own the data. But the idea is amazing.

    • piecat@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      It’s like some of the Pokemon games where it tells you what you did. Seriously amazing, but yeah needs to be FOSS and secure.

    • palordrolap@kbin.run
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      5 months ago

      Borrowing from something I saw elsewhere: Set up a task / cron job / whatever it is on your OS that takes a full screenshot every minute and then sends it to Microsoft’s AI team.

      Or save it to a drive or something, I’m not the boss here. And neither is Microsoft.

      • jaschen@lemm.ee
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        5 months ago

        It takes images of your screen and stores it with context and then you can query it. Images, text, graphs, etc.

        “Hey, I was working on an automation for my home assistant and it stopped working. I had an automation that worked about 6 months ago. Can you pull that automation up and show me”

        “My boss showed me a slide about a month ago talking about the TPS report, can you pull that up and show me that slide deck?”

        The use case is endless.

    • Hadriscus@lemm.ee
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      5 months ago

      Screencap and screencapture programs have existed forever, just use any, it’s not a new idea

      • jaschen@lemm.ee
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        5 months ago

        I think you misunderstand what Recall actually does. It takes images of your screen and then you can query it. Images, text, graphs, etc.

        “Hey, I was working on an automation for my home assistant and it stopped working. I had an automation that worked about 6 months ago. Can you pull that automation up and show me”

        “My boss showed me a slide about a month ago talking about the TPS report, can you pull that up and show me that slide deck?”

        The use case is endless.

        • Hadriscus@lemm.ee
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          5 months ago

          Oh my… Ok right I didn’t realize the extent of it. It’s a total nightmare

          • jaschen@lemm.ee
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            5 months ago

            Well, supposedly the data is stored locally. Like I said. It’s a good idea. I wouldn’t mind a FOSS version.