Summary
- A new OneDrive Photos app is being introduced to select Windows 11 PCs.
- This app organizes local photo libraries and features AI-driven search along with optional facial recognition.
- The launch aligns with Microsoft's ongoing effort to embed AI capabilities into its Windows operating system.
Users of Windows 11 are noticing a new Microsoft application that they did not explicitly install. Named OneDrive Photos, this app automatically catalogs local images and provides AI-enhanced search capabilities and an optional feature for grouping faces.
Industry outlet Windows Latest first reported the rollout, which occurs through Windows Update or updates to the existing OneDrive application rather than as a standalone download.
The OneDrive Photos app can identify and show images saved on a PC, even if the user is not logged into a Microsoft account. Once signed in, users gain access to AI search functionalities that can find images using natural language and optical character recognition.
Additionally, the app features a People component that groups similar faces, which are only accessible to the user, not shared with others, and can be deleted by turning off the feature. However, Windows Latest pointed out that participation in this feature is voluntary since facial data might be classified as biometric information in certain regions.
This development comes two years after Microsoft had to revise its AI Recall feature due to a privacy backlash, which led the company to change the default setting to opt-in for this screenshot tool.
In a related note, Google recently started downloading its 4GB Gemini Nano AI model to compatible Chrome browsers via updates, raising concerns about AI features being implemented through standard software updates.
As reported by Windows Latest, the OneDrive Photos app is integrated with the current OneDrive client and cannot be uninstalled independently. To remove the app, users must uninstall OneDrive entirely from their system.
Microsoft did not provide immediate comments when contacted by Decrypt.