Microsoft to let you choose which apps in Windows 11 can access its generative AI

Microsoft got a lot of sticks after its big bet on AI was met with backlash. The Recall feature was a disaster, plagued with a lot of security concerns here and there. But now, it seems like Microsoft wants to make it right by letting you choose which apps in Windows 11 can access the OS’ generative AI.

The Redmond tech giant recently launched Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26236 for folks in the Canary channel. Besides the obvious performance enhancement, a few fixes, and a Microsoft Wallet-integrated store, a new option related to its generative AI has been spotted in the Settings app.

Courtesy of this eagle-eyed folk on X (formerly Twitter), the new subpage lives in the Privacy & Security section of the Settings app. Here’s what it looks like:

Besides this, it seems like Microsoft is still pushing for more fixes for its AI in Windows 11. The Build 26236 also brings a new “search the web” feature for Recall, which is still hidden for some Canary users. It pretty much works like how Circle to Search does on Android or Google Chrome, letting you surf the web directly for text captured in the snapshot.

The controversial Recall feature lets you search on your computer for anything you’ve ever done. It does so by capturing snapshots periodically, and then you can rewind it and “recall” the actions that you’ve done.

Microsoft says it’s run locally, but given the recent security mess, a lot of Recall clones have appeared online. One of them is OpenRecall, which honestly isn’t too visually appealing compared to the original Recall, but it does the job just fine and it even works on Linux and macOS.