In a recent interview, Google hinted at a new feature for ChromeOS that could function similarly to Microsoft’s controversial Recall feature. This potential addition, currently called Memory, appears to have roots in a project showcased at Google I/O – Project Astra.

During an interview at Computex, Google vice president John Solomon remained tight-lipped about directly mentioning Microsoft’s Recall, but did acknowledge the potential discomfort such a feature can cause.

“I’m not going to talk about Recall, but I think the reason that some people feel it’s creepy is when it doesn’t feel useful, and it doesn’t feel like something they initiated or that they get a clear benefit from it,” Solomon told PC World. He emphasized the importance of user control, suggesting a scenario where Memory could be helpful in recalling notes and action items from a complex meeting recording – initiated by the user themselves.

Project Astra, unveiled at Google I/O last month, offered a glimpse into Google’s vision for the future of AI assistants. The focus was on leveraging AI to recognize objects in the real world through smartphone cameras and prototype smart glasses.

“To be truly useful, an agent needs to understand and respond to the complex and dynamic world just like people do — and take in and remember what it sees and hears to understand context and take action,” Google explained about Project Astra.

The key difference between Project Astra’s memory capabilities and the concerns surrounding Microsoft Recall lies in its presentation. At Google I/O, Project Astra was merely one of many features showcased, and more importantly, remains an internal project. Unlike Microsoft Recall, which is already available in preview for a limited audience, Memory for ChromeOS is far from a finished product.

When questioned by PC World‘s Mark Hachman about bringing Recall-like functionality to ChromeOS, Solomon surprisingly confirmed that Google was indeed working on something similar, currently under the codename Memory.

“I think there’s a piece of it which is very relevant, which is this notion of having some kind of context and memory of what’s been happening on the device,” Solomon explained. He envisioned a scenario where users could rewind or record their screen activity to pick up where they left off after a distraction.

Solomon emphasized that user control would be paramount, ensuring the feature wouldn’t feel intrusive. Interestingly, this aligns with how Microsoft describes its Recall feature, allowing users to exclude specific apps and websites from recording, and manage storage space allocation for snapshots.

While the specifics of Memory remain under wraps, it’s clear Google is exploring similar functionalities as Microsoft’s Recall. Whether Memory takes the form of screen recording, context-aware note-taking, or something entirely different, it appears user control will be a core focus for Google.