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Comment by ankurdhama | Hacker News Reader

MS recall captures screenshot, analyze them, extract data from them and create a database index of these things so you can search them.

Apple AI essentially provides API hooks that apps can use to expose actions and data to the model. Currently it seems Apple own apps does that but any app owner can decide to support this or not.

Two completely different approach.

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Not only that but the data is what is exposed to spotlight - an api that’s existed forever. iOS 18 just has much better search over the same data.

To me it sounds that anyone could implement Microsoft’s approach as an app, there is no reason for it to be bundled with the OS. The only difference would be it would cost users token costs directly as opposed to be paid by other means.

> Two completely different approach.

Just semantics. In the end Apple has access to everything, like MS.

It isn't there are large real world implications and difference in what each does and what risk it exposes to the end user.

I suspect Apple doesn’t have access to everything typed into a web form, or in a notes app, even if those values are erased/backspaces, not saved, not submitted. But Recall does. All usernames in all apps/websites. The content of every single web page you visit, not just the URL. The content of every email you read, every document you open of any kind in any app. Apple _might_ spy on some of this. Recall WOULD record ALL of that. Very different in my opinion.

and it was possible for any user on windows to have access to these screenshots

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