Michelle ThompsonIf your art skills lean toward stick figures, Microsoft’s update to Paint may help boost creativity by adding AI tools in the latest Windows 11 release.
Microsoft is incorporating AI across its consumer products, from chatbots to editing tools, but Paint’s simplicity makes it a unique choice for this update. Since its 1985 debut, Paint has remained a basic program, which may be ideal for people needing quick visual solutions.
AI-generated artwork is a prominent part of this technology wave. With OpenAI’s DALL-E launch in 2021, text-to-image tools became popular in tech, including Paint. In the Windows update, Paint gets “generative fill” to create AI images by typing descriptions, as noted by Microsoft’s Dave Grochocki. This feature, requiring Microsoft Copilot+ on compatible computers, will first be available to Windows Insider program users.
The update will also expand the AI-powered Image Creator tool, powered by DALL-E, to more European users. This addition to Paint aligns with a broader AI trend, as seen with AI-generated content flooding platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, recently highlighted their plans to continue providing AI-generated content on these platforms.
A staple since 1985, Paint embodies early digital culture, and this upgrade helps Microsoft compete in the AI space. In October, Microsoft updated its Copilot assistant for enhanced usability, and AI tools will also arrive in Notepad for sentence rewriting and editing. Similarly, Apple launched AI-based “Writing Tools” in iOS 18.1, similar to Microsoft’s Notepad AI.
Lastly, Paint’s new “generative erase” tool allows object removal from images without affecting the background, available on Windows 11 PCs.
Emily Martinez
