Controversial Microsoft Copilot+ PC feature gets October release date

'Security continues to be our top priority,' according to Microsoft.

Microsoft will make the controversial "recall" feature for its artificial intelligence-powered Copilot+ PCs available to Windows Insiders users in October.

The Redmond, Washington-based tech giant added the new release date to a previous blog post about recall, which was billed as a way for users to find information previously viewed on a PC but derided by security advocates for the potential for threat actors to exploit the automated scraping of users' computer history. Microsoft announced in June it would delay recall even as Copilot+ PCs hit the market.

In the updated blog post, Microsoft pledged "a commitment to delivering a trustworthy and secure Recall (preview) experience on Copilot+ PCs for customers" and said that "we have adjusted our release approach to leverage the valuable expertise of our Windows Insider community prior to making Recall available for all Copilot+ PCs."

"Security continues to be our top priority," according to Microsoft.

Microsoft Copilot+ PC recall

CRN has reached out to Microsoft for comment.

Microsoft has more than 400,000 partners and is a member of CRN US's 2024 Channel Chiefs.

The Windows Insider program allows users to explore new features and validate applications and infrastructure pre-deployment, according to Microsoft.

Kevin Beaumont, director of emerging threats at Arcadia Group and one of the most vocal recall critics, posted to social media network Mastodon on Wednesday to say that "as a community we'll need to test the security implications out extensively."

And while plenty of people questioned the security risks recall posed, some in the channel saw ways it can help with productivity.

Not much early data on Copilot+ PCs is out there yet, but on Microsoft's most recent quarterly earnings call, CEO Satya Nadella told listeners that "we are delighted by early reviews, and we are looking forward to the introduction of more Copilot+ PCs powered by all of our silicon and OEM partners in the coming months."

Windows 11 active device sales increased 50 percent year over year, Nadella said.

In July, Gartner reported that worldwide PC shipments totalled 60.6 million units in the second quarter of 2024, a 1.9 per cent year over year and marking three consecutive quarters of growth.

Still, the research firm concluded that demand for AI PCs such as Copilot+ PC "has been slow, as the product is still in the early introduction stage, and the real benefits of owning such a device are not yet clear to most buyers."