New update: Paint can generate AI images

With "Cocreator", you can create AI images in Paint. Microsoft announced the new AI function back in September and initially only released it for developers and testers. It is now regularly available in Germany, France and Italy. It is not yet known when you will be able to use "Cocreator" in Switzerland.

Specifically, "Cocreator" is an integration of the AI image generator Dall-E from OpenAI. You call it up via a button in Paint. You can then enter your ideas in a text field and select which graphic style you have in mind. Shortly afterwards, you will be presented with three suggestions.

Click to transfer a suggestion to the Paint workspace. There you can touch up the image with Paint onboard tools or add text to the image. The generated images are square and have an edge length of 2000 by 2000 pixels, which is a decent resolution.

Microsoft has caused a few surprises this year with several updates for its legendary paint programme Paint. In September, it was given layer support.

English works better than German

I have tried the new tool: You can tell the programme your idea in German, but my impression is that English works better. I wanted to make a cat with a top hat and monocle ride a unicycle:

The input for this anime-style image is: A cat with a top hat and monocle riding a unicycle. The cat and top hat worked, but instead of a unicycle the result is a tricycle and I miss the monocle completely. But the result is still cool.

The English entry works much more accurately: A cat with cylinder hat and monocle on a unicycle.

Costs and other restrictions

Unfortunately, you cannot use "Cocreator" as often as you like. You receive 50 credits at the start, which you need to generate images. Each generation and also changing the graphic template costs one credit. Viewing the suggestions is free. You can see how many credits you have left at the bottom of the "Cocreator" window. It is not yet known how you can get new credits, at the moment it is not yet possible to top up the quota.

Microsoft also uses a very strict content filter. My first submission was immediately intercepted with a content warning. It said that "some words have been blocked by the guidelines for responsible AI". My input was: "A cat puts out a burning house." At least I wasn't deducted any credit for the failed attempt.