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

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