ELON Musk has warned Windows users to disable a controversial new AI feature that sounds like “an episode of Black Mirror”.
THE You’re here The chef was quick to express his views on from Microsoft last update of Windows 11 devices this summer, amid fears that it might share similarities with a dystopia in the near future.
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Known as Recall, the new artificial intelligence The feature will take screenshots of whatever is on the screen to allow users to go back in time and resume working on anything over the past month.
Exclusive to a range of new Copilot+ PCs, AI is able to analyze text and images in screenshots to help you find what you’re looking for.
Whether it’s phrases, people, animals or landmarks, users will be able to search for anything without having to know the exact name of a document or web page. GB News report.
Reminder is not enabled by default, however, users are asked if they want to take advantage of AI, it adds.
Yusuf Mehdi, chief marketing officer at Microsoft, said in a business blog that having Recall is like “having a photographic memory”.
THE WE The company also wrote that users “always have control with privacy you can trust.”
Following the announcement of Microsoft’s latest update, Musk was quick to express his concerns on social networks.
Take from X (formerly Twitter) in response to a video of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella talking about the benefits of Recall, he said he was “permanently turning off this ‘feature’.”
He also compared it to an episode of Black mirror – a show set in near-future dystopias with science fiction technology.
Users on its social networks the platform was quick to respond to the message.
“So a built-in screen recorder. Because it’s not a security risk,” criticized one.
“Did the CIA make this up?” said another.
“Uhhhh, this looks like surveillance repackaged as a feature,” commented a third.
A fourth person described it as “a huge invasion of privacy”.
Musk isn’t the only one worried about the new Windows update.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) confirmed to BBC that was “inquire with Microsoft to understand the safeguards in place to protect user privacy”.
The data protection regulator added that private companies must “rigorously assess and mitigate risks to people’s rights and freedoms” before bringing new products to market, the report added.
Microsoft was quick to reassure PC owners about the recall capabilities, saying it would never take screenshots when you’re in private browsing mode.
Artificial intelligence explained
Here’s what you need to know
- Artificial intelligence, also known as AI, is a type of computer software
- Generally, a computer does what you tell it to do
- But artificial intelligence simulates the human mind and can make its own deductions, inferences or decisions.
- A simple computer could allow you to set an alarm to wake you up
- But an AI system could scan your emails, determine that you have an appointment tomorrow, then set an alarm and plan a trip for you.
- AI technology is often “trained,” meaning it observes something (potentially even a human) and then learns a task over time.
- For example, an AI system can receive thousands of photos of human faces and then generate photos of human faces itself.
- Some experts worry that humans will eventually lose control of super-intelligent AI.
- But the tech world is still divided over whether AI technology will eventually kill us all in a Terminator-like apocalypse.
Separate exceptions can also be added for specific applications where the functionality will not apply.
Microsoft also said that Recall will not censor or erase information from screenshots it takes, even when passwords or bank account details are visible on the screen.
AI and privacy advisor Dr. Kris Shrishak, however, believes that AI functionality could have a “chilling effect” on people.
He told the BBC. “This could be a privacy nightmare.
“The simple fact that screenshots are taken while using the device could have a deterrent effect on people.”
Jake Moore, world cyber security advisor to software security company ESET, said the implications of the AI feature could be an attractive prospect for cybercriminals, reports GB News.
“Enabling a feature capable of capturing screen data not only offers even more data to the company behind the software, but also opens up another avenue of attack for criminals,” he said .
