Microsoft is experimenting with different ways of bringing AI capabilities to windows 11. The company has been toying with bringing AI capabilities to a handful of in-box Windows 11 apps, including Photos, Snipping Tool, and Paint. Some of this functionality will require dedicated hardware, such as an NPU or VPU while others may not.
The AI functionality that would allow the app to identify objects or people in photos and enable the ability to cut out and paste those elements elsewhere. This is a functionality that iOS and Android have had for some time. Users could ask Paint to create a canvas based on criteria set out by the user, similar to how Bing Image Creator currently works. Sources say the Paint AI integration will be based on that same Bing technology.
Reportedly, the company wants to incorporate OCR technology to enable Windows to identify text in screenshots for faster clipboard copying. Microsoft is also working on bringing OCR to the Camera app, allowing users to select text in a photo taken on the device. It’s not clear when or if Microsoft will soon ship these AI integrations on Windows 11 as the idea are still in experimental stages as the company sets out how to incorporate more AI capabilities into Windows.
I also understand that the next major platform release of Windows, coming in 2024, is expected to incorporate AI more significantly. Right now, the AI capabilities Microsoft is working on for Windows 11 are somewhat surface-level. My sources say the next major release will be where the company begin integrating AI experiences more deeply.
I’ll have more to share on that topic soon, but for now, are you excited about Microsoft’s AI plans for Windows 11? Let us know by adding a comment below!