Recently Microsoft conducted a Windows and Surface event where a lot of users expected the company to give us some hints on Windows "12", and the expectation was not too far-fetched either considering Microsoft itself titled the event livestream with the headline "Something new is coming from Windows".
While that didn't happen, as it was mostly about AI and agents or the new Surface hardware for that, the company did release a new redesigned Search experience, which Neowin has a deep dive on.
On the topic of AI agents, the company has been working on a new feature for Edge, and recently it has shared some additional important details. Edge, like Chrome and other browsers, already has AI features in it, like those for local AI processing that could quietly download up to 20GB of data on your storage space; however, this one will act like an agent as it will try to fix the problems you encounter when you browse the web using Edge. Dubbed "Fix an issue", it will be inside Edge settings, and could work similarly to how a comparable feature operates inside Windows as well, although it can be far from helpful sometimes, as even a Microsoft advert proved that once. It will be like an AI chatbot where you can type in your query and the underlying AI will try to fix it.
The feature was first spotted by browser enthusiast and X user Leopeva64.
Today Neowin spotted the new support page published by Microsoft about user data collection when using the upcoming Fix and issue feature. The company has confirmed that the feature will collect some information, but only after users give their consent. Hence, it is not spyware of any kind.
It is easy to see why Microsoft is taking care to put this information up front, as there were such allegations regarding Windows diagnostic services recently, after which a reverse engineer had to explain in detail what was actually happening under the hood.
According to Redmond, the data collection is meant to help generate explanations and recommendations for the specific problem users are trying to resolve, as Microsoft assures it is not there just to continuously monitor their browsing activity.
When the user opts to, Edge may collect optional diagnostic data and information about the current Settings state when users explicitly initiate the troubleshooting process. If you do not give consent, Edge will not collect this optional diagnostic and Settings state data for the experience. Microsoft promises this collection is limited to the active troubleshooting session only and is not continuously done in the background.
That said, Microsoft is also giving users an option to turn off this data collection by heading to Settings > Copilot and AI. The company says it provides descriptions explaining when and why the data is used, allowing users to understand what they are agreeing to.
Microsoft has also clarified that Fix an issue does not access or use work-related resources. The company claims the feature has undergone thorough testing and reviews to identify potential privacy risks, misleading guidance, and situations where AI-generated responses may not align with the intended use.
Speaking of AI-generated responses, Microsoft admits that the feature may occasionally provide inaccurate or incomplete guidance. Of course, not all issues can be diagnosed automatically either, which means users may still need to take manual steps or seek additional support.
Via neowin/ Picarchive
