Panos Panay is leaving Microsoft to work for Amazon, but that doesn't stop the tech giant from bringing major updates to Windows 11. Windows is about to have another exciting year, and one of its most popular applications, Paint, is also about to see big advances in artificial intelligence. Microsoft is testing an image creator called "Cocreator" powered by DALL-E and Bing in the "Paint" app. The app uses the artificial intelligence system of the Redmond giant and OpenAI to create realistic images and works of art based on text descriptions.
Details aren't available yet, but a reference in the updated app suggests Microsoft is using the latest DALL-E model. The "cocreator" feature in Paint can create high-resolution DALL-E images in familiar squares. This is similar to the image creator update for Bing Chat and is available to everyone using Microsoft's AI chatbot.
The main difference between Bing Chat and Paint's image creation modes is that the latter has deeper integration with features like background removal. It is worth noting that the new "Cocreator" panel in "Paint" will use network technology, which may be slower than native technology, but it can still get the job done.
A quick look at the updated app package for the Paint app confirms that Microsoft is using OpenAI's safeguards. However, if you still find that the app generates offensive images, you can choose to mark it as unsafe. You can also use the thumbs up or down buttons to provide feedback directly to the Redmond giant.
The codebase also shows that Microsoft has "modified" OpenAI's DALL-E safeguards to "impose additional restrictions on the generation of unsafe images." Harmful prompt messages will be automatically blocked, and if users continue to abuse this feature, Microsoft may issue a warning through network information in Paint.
Paint's AI integration is being tested in internal builds, and we expect it to be available to testers in the coming days or weeks. The company will likely have more discussions about DALL-E and other features in Paint at the Surface event.
The artificial intelligence upgrade of drawing software is not just DALL-E integration
While DALL-E integration has yet to be announced, Microsoft Paint was recently updated with new Photoshop-like support for background removal, layers, and transparency.
Layers in Paint are similar to Layers in Photoshop; you can add, manage, and stack layers for detailed artistic effects. The layer button is located in the toolbar, and there is a panel dedicated to layer management.
Another new feature is AI-driven background removal, which can remove the background of any image, making it easier to create PNGs. Additionally, it is now possible to open or create transparent PNGs to view images without the default white or dark fill.
In addition to the new "Paint" and "Photo" applications, Microsoft is believed to be developing more major changes to the operating system, and specific details may be announced at the Surface conference on September 21.
At this event, the Windows giant plans to announce the next big update for Windows 11, Surface Go 4, Surface Laptop Go 3, Surface Laptop Studio 2, and many AI integrations.