Microsoft Paint takes on Photoshop with its new AI features

Microsoft updated two of the most iconic Windows applications. The latest version of the Insider channel offers Generative AI functions for Notepad and Paint which will allow you to rewrite texts, edit photos and delete objects.

In a Windows blog post, Microsoft announced new features for Paint and Notepad. While this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a push towards artificial intelligence, this update gives life to two apps that had been dormant for some time now.

In the case of Paint, the image editor has a built-in generative fill, a feature that allows Insert AI-generated objects using text instructions. Users can select a part of an image using this tool. Choice and write a prompt describing the object to create it.

If you don’t like the result, you can click the button try again For create a new image or add more details in the text field. Paint’s artificial intelligence will rely on the lighting, style, colors and placement of the box to create a believable object. If you are happy with the generated image, you can click the button Hold to apply it to the canvas.

Paint can remove or generate content using AI

Paint’s generative fill is similar to what the most recent version of Photoshop offers. Unlike Adobe, images are generated locally using your computer’s neural processing unit (NPU). The only downside is that this feature is only available on Copilot+ computers with a Qualcomm processor.

Another AI feature coming to Paint is Generative erasure. As the name suggests, this tool is used to remove objects or people from an image without changing the background. To do this, it uses language models that They calculate and fill the space as if the object was never there..

Generative erasing is activated using the eraser. If you want to delete an object, you just need to paint it with a generative erase brush and click Apply for the AI ​​to do its job. Unlike generative padding, AI-powered object removal does not require an NPU, so it will be available on all Windows 11 PCs.

Finally, Microsoft added the ability rewrite the text in notepad. This feature is useful for rephrasing sentences, adjusting tone, and changing the length of content directly within a text file. To activate it, you just need to highlight the text, right-click and select the option Rewrite.

If you’ve felt déjà vu, you’re not the only one. The possibility of rewriting text in Notepad became known from some screenshots published in early 2024. Microsoft took its time and decided it was time to try it out, so you can use it if you are a member of the Windows program. 11 Insider.