Microsoft recently announced the testing of a text-to-image creator powered by OpenAI’s DALL-E in Microsoft Paint for Windows 11. This new tool, known as Paint Cocreator, allows users to generate art based on the descriptions they type. Alternatively, users can select an art style, and Cocreator will generate three variations, from which they can choose the one they like. Furthermore, customers can edit the artwork by adding layers, which is a new feature in Paint.
However, the effectiveness of OpenAI’s latest DALL-E image generation model in converting text to images remains to be seen. Previous versions of DALL-E have encountered challenges in correctly interpreting text input and have been associated with gender and racial bias. In its blog post, Microsoft has mentioned that it is taking steps to prevent the creation of “harmful, offensive, or inappropriate” images but has not provided detailed information on these measures.
Paint Cocreator is expected to become available to all Windows 11 users in a few weeks. For now, Microsoft is gradually rolling out the feature to Windows Insiders, and users need to join a waitlist to gain access to the preview. During the preview, users will receive 50 credits, each of which can be used to create a new set of images. It’s worth noting that the credit system might change after the preview period, and users may need to pay for its use in the future.
Currently, Paint Cocreator is available in preview to users in English in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Canada, Italy, and Germany.
Paint Cocreator is just one of the many new creative updates powered by AI that Microsoft has introduced to Windows 11. Another feature in Microsoft’s Photos app allows users to blur backgrounds and highlight specific subjects or areas of a photo, with the option to adjust the intensity of the blur. Additionally, there’s the Windows Copilot sidebar, an AI assistant that enables users to adjust PC settings, launch applications, ask questions, and more.