Generative AI, as with any other advancement in tech, is a double-edged sword. On one hand, those who can see its value will no doubt use it frequently, but on the other, there are privacy concerns surrounding it, especially when the tech relies on cloud processing. This was quite the major issue with the Recall feature Microsoft introduced with its Copilot Plus PCs.
This feature was spotted in the Insider Preview Build 26236 of Windows 11, as first spotted by a user on X, previously Twitter, going by the handle @alex290292. This is specifically found under Privacy & security options, then selecting Generative AI. From here, there are two options, with the first allowing any user of the device, be it a desktop PC or a laptop, to use generative AI features.
For the privacy conscious generative AI enthusiasts, these all look to be great additions. Though as hardware start to trend towards local processing for generative AI, an option to allow apps access for all on-device tasks and only ask for permission for cloud processes would be a convenient option to have. At any rate, as these have only appeared in a preview build, it remains to be seen when, or even if, these options will be carried over to the general Windows 11 builds.