Microsoft admits it force-installed AI-powered OneDrive on Windows 11, says it’s not training on your faces (really)
windowslatest.com Aug 7, 2026

Microsoft admits it force-installed AI-powered OneDrive on Windows 11, says it’s not training on your faces (really)

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Microsoft confirmed that the OneDrive Photos app was force‑installed on Windows 11 devices as part of a recent OneDrive update, extending the web and mobile photo experience to the desktop. The app appears on both consumer and enterprise PCs, even though it only works with personal Microsoft accounts, leaving IT admins unable to remove it without uninstalling the entire OneDrive client. Microsoft said the rollout to managed devices was unintentional and that the AI‑powered “People” feature, which groups faces, is disabled by default and does not train models on local photos; any cloud‑processed data is deleted after 30 days. The company plans to release an update that will let users uninstall OneDrive Photos separately.

💡 Why It Matters

  • · It forces a consumer‑focused AI feature onto business machines, creating admin headaches and raising privacy concerns about unintended data handling.