Microsoft has embarked on a dynamic journey of integrating AI into its Windows 11 ecosystem. According to a report by Windows Central, the company is pushing to integrate Windows 11 applications, including Photos, Snipping Tool, and Paint with generative AI capabilities such as text-to-image.

Moreover, the image generator on Paint would use the same technology as Bing’s Image Creator, which is OpenAI’s DALL-E.

The illustration in the banner by Windows Central depicts a button labelled ‘Magic Paint’, accompanied by a sidebar which enables users to input an image description for the purpose of generating images. It appears that one can then transfer this resultant image onto their canvas for adjustments; however, the precise functionality is not yet definitively established.

Aside from the Paint application, Microsoft has intentions to integrate AI tools into other software such as Photos, the Camera app, and the Snipping Tool. In the context of Photos, this could encompass a novel feature facilitating the identification of individuals or objects within a photo, subsequently allowing for their extraction and insertion into other areas.

Regarding the Camera app, there’s a possibility that Microsoft will incorporate optical character recognition (OCR) technology into both applications. This advancement has the potential to empower each app to recognize text, individuals, and objects within photos or screenshots, thereby significantly simplifying the process of copying and pasting information from these sources.

Shifting focus to the Snipping Tool, insiders reveal Microsoft’s intent to incorporate OCR technology here as well. This strategic enhancement would enable Windows 11 to promptly recognise and replicate text from screenshots onto the clipboard, streamlining information utilisation. 

The timeline for the rollout of these AI integrations remains ambiguous, as Microsoft is meticulously fine-tuning these concepts. An imminent event scheduled for September 21 is anticipated to unveil new Surface hardware while shedding further light on Microsoft’s AI roadmap for Windows.

Over the past year, the tech giant has consistently spotlighted AI functionalities across its product portfolio. Notably, the trend has transcended to its flagship operating system, Windows 11. Two prominent AI-driven features, Windows Studio Effects and the eagerly anticipated Windows Copilot, have already been announced, with the latter set to debut this fall.