Windows may let you purge your PC of AI

By Judy Sanhz Published June 13, 2024

Microsoft raised some serious privacy and security concerns with the upcoming launch of the controversial AI feature Recall as part of Copilot+ PCs. This led to Microsoft making changes to Recall, including making it opt-in rather than on by default. And now, according to an X (formerly Twitter) thread, Microsoft is giving you even more control over what apps can use AI.

The new feature will reportedly be found in Settings > Privacy & Security section > Let app use Generative AI. Users can toggle the feature on or off with a single click and select which specific apps are granted AI access. The idea is to give you more control over what apps and users can use generative AI.

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The second option on the list lets you choose which apps can use AI, but above it is the option that allows anyone using a Windows computer to choose if their app can use generative AI when the option is toggled on. The proliferation of generative AI is hard to escape, so it’ll be nice to have it all in one place, potentially letting you see which apps are using it.

New under "Privacy & Security" pic.twitter.com/pB6FA22Dxo

— Alexander S (@alex290292) June 12, 2024

The new option is part of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26236 for Canary channel users, and aside from the setting change, it brings several minor improvements like some bug fixes, a Microsoft Wallet-integrated store, and performance improvements.

Some already available apps that use AI include Microsoft 365 Copilot and Bing Chat, which offer AI-powered features such as Intelligent Recap, Live Translations, and Personalized Insights. But with these apps, AI won’t come into the picture unless enabled by the user.

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Computing Writer

Judy Sanhz is a Digital Trends computing writer covering all computing news. Loves all operating systems and devices.

Computing

Microsoft Copilot: how to use this powerful AI assistant

Man using Windows Copilot PC to work

In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant is a powerful tool designed to streamline and enhance your professional productivity. Whether you're new to AI or a seasoned pro, this guide will help you through the essentials of Copilot, from understanding what it is and how to sign up, to mastering the art of effective prompts and creating stunning images.

Additionally, you'll learn how to manage your Copilot account to ensure a seamless and efficient user experience. Dive in to unlock the full potential of Microsoft's Copilot and transform the way you work.
What is Microsoft Copilot?
Copilot is Microsoft's flagship AI assistant, an advanced large language model. It's available on the web, through iOS, and Android mobile apps as well as capable of integrating with apps across the company's 365 app suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. The AI launched in February 2023 as a replacement for the retired Cortana, Microsoft's previous digital assistant. It was initially branded as Bing Chat and offered as a built-in feature for Bing and the Edge browser. It was officially rebranded as Copilot in September 2023 and integrated into Windows 11 through a patch in December of that same year.

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Microsoft Copilot ‘spews data all over the floors,’ says influential CEO

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announces updates to the company's Copilot artificial intelligence (AI) tool.

Marc Benioff, co-founder and CEO of Salesforce, has some harsh criticism of Microsoft Copilot. During an interview on the Rapid Response podcast (spotted by Windows Central), the decorated executive described Microsoft's AI assistant as a "tremendous disservice" to the AI industry, and even compared it to Microsoft's long-retired office assistant, Clippy.

The topic of discussion on the podcast, which you can find the full video of below, is Saleforce's Agentforce AI. It's a competitor to Copilot that offers an AI assistant targeted at increasing productivity in businesses. But Agentforce is customizable. Instead of one AI to rule them all, Salesforce offers agents targeted at different applications. There's an agent built for customer service, another built for retail, and even another built to dig through analytics. Customers can build their own custom agents, too.

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No, generative AI isn’t taking over your PC games anytime soon

Cyberpunk 2077 running on the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8.

Surprise -- the internet is upset. This time, it's about a recent article from PC Gamer on the future of generative AI in video games. It's a topic I've written about previously, and something that game companies have been experimenting with for more than a year, but this particular story struck a nerve.

Redditors used strong language like "pro-AI puff piece," PC Gamer itself issued an apology, and the character designer for Bioshock Infinite's Elizabeth called the featured image showing the character reimagined with AI a "half-assed cosplay." The original intent of the article is to glimpse into the future at what games could look like with generative AI, but without the tact or clear realization of how this shift affects people's jobs and their creative works.

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