Marketed as a tool to assist users by helping them locate important files using memory, Microsoft is set to redefine telemetry in the Windows operating system.
Recent versions of Microsoft’s Windows operating system have increasingly incorporated data-gathering telemetry, effectively transforming the most widely used OS for personal computers into integrated spyware.
When Windows 10 was first introduced, almost everyone was alarmed by its invasive nature, sparking security concerns among personal users.
Microsoft has been compelling users to update their OS by artificially restricting APIs like DirectX 12 and through the discontinuation of essential software support, such as Valve’s Steam ending support for Windows 7 and 8.
Beyond the fact that hardware manufacturers have long since ceased providing official support for older operating systems, consumers are effectively left stranded with outdated hardware and unable to play video games released in the future. However, given that many modern games are considered progressive rubbish, this might be seen as a stroke of luck.
This does not change the fact that consumers are being forced to update their operating systems to versions with built-in spyware that monitors their usage and data. This trend will continue as Windows 11 evolves and is eventually replaced.
However, consumers can circumvent Microsoft’s plans by using a more streamlined LTSC version of Windows 10, or perhaps if you’re willing to put yourself at risk, a pre-made modified variant of either Windows 10 or 11 with telemetry and bloatware software removed might be an option.
Nonetheless, Microsoft will likely pressure companies like Valve to eventually end support for Windows 10 in the coming years.
Microsoft’s latest focus is the integration of artificial intelligence into Windows via their Copilot AI assistant. To support this, they are effectively pressuring hardware manufacturers like AMD and Intel to incorporate AI-accelerating NPUs into their products.
This move aims to secure lucrative OEM contracts by meeting Microsoft’s 40 TOPs requirement for Copilot functionality.
Functionality was previously demonstrated with Copilot’s real-time capabilities during gameplay. In a video example featuring Minecraft, Microsoft showcased the potential of AI to guide and assist players.
The demonstration highlighted how Copilot AI could search through a player’s inventory and determine whether they had enough resources to craft a particular item when prompted.
Microsoft is now boldly marketing the power of artificial intelligence integrated into the Windows operating system, highlighting its potential to monitor and track your usage. They have announced a new AI feature called “Recall,” which records all your activities on your PC and allows you to search through your historical actions.
Yes, you heard that right. Microsoft’s sales pitch for “Recall” is that it functions like a photographic memory for your computer, enabling you to access everything you’ve seen or done in an organized manner using natural language queries.
Recall achieves this by periodically taking screenshots of your system, using artificial intelligence to organize and index them. This allows you to search for photos based on their contents rather than their file names.
Much like the potential of Copilot in video games, this feature sounds impressive and user-friendly but on the surface.
The whole feature is essentially a keylogger on steroids, your PC will take frequent screen captures of your screen and catalogue these captures, acting as a makeshift photographic memory allowing you to scroll through your timeline to find content from any app, website, or document you had opened in the past.
All of this processing is done locally on YOUR machine, a point that Microsoft’s CEO is eager to emphasize. The data collection, screenshot capturing, and AI-powered categorization occur entirely on your device. This explains the strong hardware requirements similar to those for Copilot.
Recall requires a minimum of 256GB of storage, 16GB of system memory, and the critical 40 TOPs AI processing power, achievable only with next-generation AMD Zen 5 and Intel Lunar Lake processors for portable devices, such as Microsoft’s upcoming Surface devices which will likely feature such CPUs.
Microsoft claims that no data will be sent to their servers. However, given that Windows 10 and Windows 11 have been collecting vast amounts of user data for years, this on-device recording functionality will almost certainly send your most crucial data into Microsoft’s hands.
Many users will likely disable this feature out of privacy concerns, which is completely understandable. However, it’s important to note that almost every modern CPU has its own built-in backdoor, such as Intel’s Management Engine (ME) and AMD’s Platform Security Processor (PSP). Both of these operate independently of the main CPU and run closed-source firmware.
For those concerned about privacy, it’s worth noting that organizations like the NSA disable these backdoors in their machines. Unfortunately, there is no straightforward way for consumers to disable the Management Engine or Platform Security Processor in their processors, as they essentially act as backdoors into your system and will always remain that way.
For wage slave office workers, where user privacy is often a nonexistent concept, this feature could be quite useful. Its potential to record and remember what users have looked at in the past cannot be overstated though for the average home user hopefully this will drive more people onto a Linux distro.
