Microsoft Paint adds AI-powered fill and erase tools

AI-powered image editing comes to Microsoft Paint: Microsoft is introducing new AI-powered features to its Paint and Photos applications, bringing advanced editing capabilities typically associated with professional software to everyday users.

• The update includes Generative Fill and Generative Erase tools for Paint, allowing users to add or remove objects from images using a brush-like interface.
• These features are similar to tools found in Adobe Photoshop, potentially reducing the need for more complex image editing software for some users.
• The new tools build upon the previously announced Cocreator feature for Paint, which generates images based on text prompts and reference sketches.

Enhanced capabilities in Microsoft Photos: Alongside the Paint updates, Microsoft’s Photos app is also receiving new AI-powered features to improve image quality and editing options.

• The Photos app will include the Generative Erase tool, enabling users to remove unwanted elements from their images.
• A new Super-Resolution feature uses on-device AI to upscale blurry or pixelated images by up to eight times their original resolution.
• Users can adjust the level of upscaling with a slider, offering flexibility in image enhancement.

Comparison to existing tools: The new features in Microsoft’s applications appear to match or exceed the capabilities of some existing image editing tools.

• The Generative Erase feature is similar to the Magic Eraser found on Google’s Pixel phones.
• The Super-Resolution feature in Photos matches the capabilities of Canva’s image upscaler and surpasses Adobe Lightroom’s 4x Super Resolution enhancement.
• Microsoft claims the Super-Resolution feature can upscale images up to 4K resolution within seconds, highlighting its efficiency.

Accessibility and availability: These new features are designed to make advanced image editing more accessible to a wider range of users.

• The updates are being introduced to Copilot Plus PCs, suggesting they may be limited to certain Windows devices initially.
• The Super-Resolution feature in Photos is available for free, potentially making high-quality image enhancement more accessible to users who don’t have professional editing software.

AI model improvements: Microsoft has made enhancements to the AI models powering these new features to improve performance and address potential concerns.

• The diffusion-based model used for the generative features has been updated to improve output quality and speed.
• Microsoft has implemented “built-in moderation” to help prevent misuse of the AI-powered tools, addressing potential ethical concerns associated with generative AI technology.

Implications for the creative industry: The introduction of these AI-powered features to widely-used Microsoft applications could have significant implications for the creative industry and everyday users.

• By bringing advanced editing capabilities to basic applications like Paint and Photos, Microsoft is potentially democratizing access to powerful image editing tools.
• This move could challenge the dominance of specialized software like Adobe Photoshop for certain tasks, especially among casual or non-professional users.
• The integration of AI into these commonly used applications may also serve to familiarize a broader audience with AI-powered creative tools, potentially accelerating the adoption of such technologies across various sectors.