Computer Q&A

Windows 11 privacy concerns & AI features

Aysë Stenabaugh
Jesters Computers

(8/2024) With support for Windows 10 ending in October 2025 many end-users have expressed concerns about upgrading to Windows 11. The preferred settings of Windows 11 are configured to collect what users might consider to be an uncomfortable amount of unnecessary data. This paired with what many consider to be invasive Microsoft ads and AI integrated features has many hesitant to upgrade or use the latest Microsoft Windows operating system. The good news is that Microsoft has recently changed some of the more concerning features which were previously expected to be enabled by default. Many of the settings that are configured during setup to share user data and collect optional diagnostic data can be disabled if you know how to find them and verify that those settings are no longer functioning.

Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 contain settings that some users may find invasive or unnecessary. These settings are independent for each user account on the PC and can be adjusted to minimize privacy concerns. Often during the setup process users find themselves skipping through screens that contain the information about these settings. Once Windows is installed, users will need to navigate through settings to disable options such as location sharing, notifications, annoying tips and suggestions, advertising settings and diagnostics and feedback. Tech-savvy users should be able to locate many of these settings to disable them, less advanced users should either research where to change those settings or seek help from a tech support professional.

Copilot is an AI powered digital assistant that can be found on some compatible Windows 10 devices and Windows 11 devices configured with the required Windows updates installed. Copilot is like ChatGPT in the way that they are both AI assistive technology that use large languages models (LLMs) to accomplish tasks. The main difference between the two is that when enabled Copilot also utilizes information from data found in your documents, calendars, emails, chats and more. Some of the tasks that Copilot can help users do including; automating tasks like summarizing documents or writing emails, creating and editing content, review information and suggest ideas.

Windows 11’s new Recall Feature is available only on Copilot+ compatible computers in an update that was scheduled to be released in June*. Recall found itself amid controversy as users began to express concerns that Microsoft was trading users’ privacy for "convenience". The idea behind recall is to be able to retrieve past activities and data performed on the device. This is achieved by my screenshots of your screen being taken and stored in a way that allows users to search or "recall" this data later. Not only did many users find this practice downright creepy, security researchers began to raise concerns about how this data was being stored. Some found it even more concerning that the proclaimed "feature" was originally slated to be turned on after the update was installed and/or during a fresh install of Windows 11 on compatible devices. This backlash Microsoft received for this ultimately prompted changes to how recall is expected to function upon release. Most users don’t need to worry about Recall at all, since the AI features required by Copilot+ require extremely new technology that have yet to be released by many manufacturers*. It’s also worth noting that none of the current desktop CPUs are compatible with the AI technology on Copilot+ capable devices.

*At the time that this article was written this updated was scheduled to be released, this update may have been delayed and users interested in this information are encouraged to check updated information for any changes that might have been made to Recall as well as new devices that may have been released supporting this technology.

AI features can be found all around Windows 11, and AI is becoming more and more common, not just in Windows. Google users may have noticed recently while searching that a new AI Overview shows up to highlight common or popular potential good search results. I say potential good search results because back in May google released many improvements to their AI results after providing some shocking answers that were obviously bad advice. Among those results users found obviously false information that suggested that Batman was a cop, provided a recipe for cooking spaghetti with gasoline, stated that running with scissors has health benefits, that people should eat at least one small rock per day and many more ridiculous answers. Whether we like it or not in a technology fueled world consumers are finding AI more in everyday life in more obvious ways such as website AI chat bots or through back-end systems like Walmart’s recently announced smart product ordering systems which utilizes an AI customer purchase tracking.

If you are ready for a Windows 11 computer or have recently purchased one and have privacy concerns, we can help at Jester’s Computer Services. Visit us on the web at www.jesterscomputer.com or at our new office located at 105 West Main Street Suite 1 in Fairfield where we are open Monday – Friday 9 to 5.