Recall 2.0? Microsoft plans another AI feature that scans everything

The negative feedback that came crashing down on Windows Recall apparently hasn’t gotten through to Microsoft because another AI feature has appeared in Windows 11 that does a lot of the same stuff.

A user on X/Twitter discovered evidence of a feature called “Intelligent Media Search” in Windows 11 Canary Build 27695 that scans all media files on the system (including text, image, audio, and video) and retrieves them on request.

It isn’t yet clear whether this is an independent feature or an extension of Recall itself, but the Windows community is unlikely to approve either way. Even if the feature is supposed to make everyday life and work easier, there are valid concerns about security, privacy, and performance.

Related: How Windows 11 collects your data and what you can do

Why this AI feature is concerning

Intelligent Media Search appears to be a quick and easy way to find the content you’re looking for on your system, ranging from specific holiday photos to important work documents.

With Recall, the retrieval process works via intermittent screenshots that record everything you do, which Windows 11 analyzes and stores so that you can immediately “recall” anything you did in the past. We don’t know how Intelligent Media Search works, and Microsoft hasn’t yet officially announced anything about the AI-powered search feature.

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However, initial concerns about data protection and security are already emerging. It’s true that information is encrypted and only stored on the user’s own device, but what if someone reached it via physical access or remote hack? It could make sensitive information quickly discoverable for attackers, who could search, get what they need, and dip out ASAP.

It’s especially problematic in the EU, where there are specific regulations for the use and implementation of such features. Microsoft even had to postpone the launch of Recall over such issues.

The technical challenges shouldn’t be underestimated, either. With Recall, people are concerned about how much storage space is needed to store all the screenshots created. With Intelligent Media Search, how much of a drag on performance will it cause with the constant scanning of media content across your computer and drives?

The next era of Copilot+ PCs should be able to handle AI features like this with ease, but it’s going to be a while before they’re affordable enough for everyday users and become mainstream devices. With AI still being something of a gimmick, adoption is going to be slow and gradual.

Related: What are Copilot+ PCs? Explained

It probably won’t be uninstallable

Recently, there was hope among testers when a Windows preview build allowed Recall to be uninstalled altogether. However, Microsoft quickly clarified that this was a bug that would be removed.

While Microsoft does allow Recall to be switched off manually, it’s evident that the company has no desire to make it permanently removable. We expect a similar attitude towards Intelligent Media Search (and all AI-powered features, to be honest).

Constant monitoring of your PC can be hard to stomach, and we’re questioning how much further Microsoft can push this strategy before users are frustrated enough to switch to other solutions.

Further reading: Windows 11 privacy and security settings to tweak

This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC-WELT and was translated and localized from German.