In October, Microsoft will make available to testers a contentious Windows Recall AI search feature.

• Microsoft announced that it will make its Recall feature available to members of the Windows Insider Program who own Copilot+ PCs starting in October.
• The company did not give a timeline for a broader release.

The controversial Recall artificial intelligence search feature for Windows users will be released for testing starting in October, as announced on Wednesday.

Microsoft has turned off Recall, a feature that captures screenshots of activity on screen, by default after security researchers raised concerns about the risks of automatic image capture without user consent. Microsoft also pledged to enhance the feature's security.

Microsoft did not reveal the release date for the broader availability of Windows computers that meet the requirements for the Recall feature, which the company refers to as Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft announced this new line of Windows PCs from various manufacturers that can handle AI workloads and demonstrated Recall running on them at an event in May.

Device manufacturers are emphasizing the ability to run AI models on local PCs, such as the MacBooks and Microsoft's Surface Pro, rather than relying on cloud-based servers from OpenAI or other companies.

The release of Recall on all devices that support it during the holiday season could increase consumer interest in buying new computers.

"Microsoft announced that Recall will be available to Windows Insiders starting in October, as previously shared on June 13. The company has adjusted its release approach to leverage the valuable expertise of its Windows Insider community before making Recall available for all Copilot+ PCs."

Microsoft has made security a top priority for its engineers, as evidenced by the company's decision to evaluate cybersecurity contributions in employee reviews that will impact pay. This change comes in response to a recent report by the Department of Homeland Security, which highlighted concerns about China's breach of U.S. government officials' Microsoft-based email accounts.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella emphasized security as the top priority during a July conference call with analysts.

David Harden believes that Microsoft has the greatest potential to profit from AI.