Microsoft might be planning to let AI loose on your local video and audio files with Windows 11 'intelligent media search'

SoftwareOperating SystemsWindowsMicrosoft might be planning to let AI loose on your local video and audio files with Windows 11 ‘intelligent media search’When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Closeup of the new Copilot key coming to Windows 11 PC keyboards

Microsoft’s Recall feature was, I think it’s fair to say, not entirely well received. The idea that Windows 11 would takescreenshots of your desktopregularly to provide you with a searchable history might have seemed useful to some, but privacy and security concerns meantMicrosoft had to backtrack pretty quickly.

“Once the AI model is set up, it needs to transcribe your media files and index them before enabling content-based search. We’ll inform you once the process is complete.”

It’s important to clarify that this looks like the only current source for this potential feature, and there’s a lot that’s left unclear. Taking what we know at face value here, —and assuming the source is correct—this would likely be a CoPilot+ integration, which means it would likely needan NPUfor the AI processing.

What’s also unclear is whether this would be something you could point at a specific file or folder, or whether you’d simply hand over all the media files on your machine to the AI and let it have it. The latter seems pretty impractical, as processing a large number of media files at once with full transcriptions would likely be very hardware intensive—although the wording suggests that might be the current plan.

Then there’s the privacy concerns. Even as an “opt-in” feature, letting an AI loose on your local media content for indexing and transcription wholesale seems like a privacy and security nightmare. Pointing it at one specific file or folder, however, may well have some practical uses. Recording a meeting or briefing, for example, and then specifically targeting it for transcription, is something that third-party cloud-based services likeOtter.aihave been doing for some time.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

At the very least, for now it looks like it might be a feature merely in planning, rather than something that’s ready for an imminent release.

Best gaming PC: The top pre-built machines.Best gaming laptop: Great devices for mobile gaming.

Best gaming PCBest gaming laptop

Best gaming PC: The top pre-built machines.Best gaming laptop: Great devices for mobile gaming.

More about windowsA debloating wizard has managed to get Windows 11 running on just 184 MB of RAM, and it looks like it can actually run appsWindows 11 24H2 is the unwanted holiday gift that keeps on giving thanks to Auto HDR game crashes, audio device woes, odd bouts of stuttering and moreLatestWhen 2K removed its annoying launcher it broke a bunch of XCOM 2 modsSee more latest►

More about windows

A debloating wizard has managed to get Windows 11 running on just 184 MB of RAM, and it looks like it can actually run appsWindows 11 24H2 is the unwanted holiday gift that keeps on giving thanks to Auto HDR game crashes, audio device woes, odd bouts of stuttering and more

Windows 11 Task Manager showing 11 GB RAM use with a sad face drawn on top

A debloating wizard has managed to get Windows 11 running on just 184 MB of RAM, and it looks like it can actually run apps

A photo of the Windows update menu, showing that I’m all up to date

Windows 11 24H2 is the unwanted holiday gift that keeps on giving thanks to Auto HDR game crashes, audio device woes, odd bouts of stuttering and more

LatestWhen 2K removed its annoying launcher it broke a bunch of XCOM 2 modsSee more latest►

Latest

When 2K removed its annoying launcher it broke a bunch of XCOM 2 mods

XCOM 2 with Warhammer 40,000 customization and weapons modded in

When 2K removed its annoying launcher it broke a bunch of XCOM 2 mods

See more latest►

Most Popular

23-year-old D&D RPG Neverwinter Nights just got a new update thanks to the ‘unpaid software engineers’ of its unkillable community

My Summer Car, the absurdly detailed Finnish life sim about vehicle maintenance and drinking in your underpants, smashes into 1.0 after nearly a decade in Steam early access

Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes a run at improving parkour, as Ubisoft strives to make the system less ‘like a gas pedal’

Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11

The Last of Us season 2 trailer is a brief look at a story you should probably just play yourself in April

Lords of the Fallen publisher embraces fear of the DEI boogeyman, says it will not include ‘any social or political agendas’ in its games

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney says tech leaders are ‘pretending to be Republicans’ to gain favor with Trump, skirt antitrust laws, and ultimately ‘rip off consumers and crush competitors’

If you’re trying to convince me your ‘companionship’ robot is ‘lifelike’, maybe don’t rip her face off in the demo video

Square Enix launches new anti-harassment policy to protect its employees and partners from abusive fans

The Sims begins its 25th anniversary celebration next week with a Behind The Sims episode of news and announcements

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals