Tests show that the Windows 11 AI Recall function can be used without NPU. Next, wait for the big boss to release the solution.

At the Build 2024 Developers Conference, Microsoft announced the AI-driven Recall feature for Windows 11. Once activated, this feature takes encrypted screenshots of the screen every few seconds in the background, which are then analyzed by AI. This allows the AI to present a timeline of content spanning three months to the user.

For instance, users can search for specific keywords to find documents, images, and webpages they have accessed in the past, enhancing the Timeline feature previously seen in Windows 10.

Currently, this feature is only supported on Windows 11 on Arm devices powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X series chips, which include an NPU computing unit with over 40TOPS performance. This is also a requirement for Microsoft's Copilot+PC certification.

The Recall feature is a modular component that will also support upcoming processors from Intel and AMD, meaning an x86 version of this component exists.

Although the NPU computing unit enhances local AI computational performance, it's not indispensable for using AI. This was demonstrated by a notable developer, @Albacore, who managed to activate the AI Recall on a device with lower hardware specifications, specifically one powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c chip, with only 3.4GB of memory and no NPU chip. Following successful testing, the x86 version of AI Recall could also be utilized.

This implies that existing devices, especially desktops, can use the AI Recall feature without the need to purchase new Windows on Arm devices, potentially saving costs.

However, this method of "jailbreaking" to use AI Recall could impact the sales of Microsoft's Copilot+PC, and it remains to be seen whether Microsoft will block these unofficial usage methods.