Microsoft Launches Windows AI Labs: A New Frontier for Experimental AI Features

Microsoft's Windows AI Lab is a new way to test experimental features

Microsoft is starting to test experimental AI-powered features through a new Windows AI Labs program. Some Windows testers spotted references to the Windows AI Labs program in pre-release updates to Microsoft Paint last week, and Microsoft has now confirmed to The Verge that the program is designed to provide early access to new AI features across Windows. "The Windows AI Lab is a pilot acceleration program for validating novel AI feature ideas in Windows," says Mike Harsh, partner director of product management at Microsoft, in a statement to The Verge. "The program focuses on rapid customer feedback on feature usability, customer interest, and market fit." While the prompt to access Windows AI Labs features has appeared in some versions of Paint, it's not yet clear what Paint features Microsoft plans to test initially. Microsoft has been adding Photoshop-like features to Paint recently, including transparency, layers, and even .paint project files. I wouldn't be surprised to see AI tools inside Paint that are similar to some of the work Adobe is doing in Photoshop. Microsoft has also been updating a variety of Windows apps with AI-powered features, including free AI features for Notepad, image generation capabilities in Paint, and AI actions in File Explorer.

Microsoft's new Windows AI Labs lets you try experimental features first - how to opt-in

The program is available only to select users via an invite in Paint. Those of you who'd like to check out upcoming AI tools and tricks in Windows may be interested in a new program from Microsoft. Known as Windows AI Labs, this one invites you to check out experimental AI features, with the first test subject being Microsoft Paint. Also: Microsoft Copilot is taking over Teams. Here's how AI will shape your daily workflow The agreement for this one says that it's "designed to provide Microsoft and selected participants with an opportunity to engage in ongoing evaluation of pre-release versions of Microsoft Paint. Your early feedback will help shape these features for the rest of the audience." To qualify, you need to enable optional diagnostic data. For that, head to Settings in Windows 11, select Privacy & security, click Diagnostics & feedback, and then turn on the switch for "Send optional diagnostic data." Also: The fastest growing AI chatbot lately? It's not ChatGPT or Gemini Next, open Paint. A notification may pop up asking if you'd like to join the program. If not, click the Settings icon and you may see a new section for Windows AI Labs asking if you want to try and share the latest AI-powered tools. To proceed, click the Sign up button, and you'll be good to go. Microsoft promises that it will notify you when new features are ready for you to explore. Not interested? The program is strictly opt-in, so you can simply click the "Not interested" to avoid further notices. At this point, though, the invite seems to be hit or miss. I was able to get access to the program on one of my Windows 11 PCs but not on my other two. Windows AI Labs was spotted last Thursday by Windows Latest, which reported that Microsoft is sending the invite to a few select testers only. Also: Copilot Chat arrives free for Microsoft 365 users - check if you have it "The Windows AI Lab is a pilot acceleration program for validating novel AI feature ideas in Windows," Mike Harsh, partner director of product management at Microsoft, told The Verge. "The program focuses on rapid customer feedback on feature usability, customer interest, and market fit." Like so many other tech companies, Microsoft has been on a tear trying to infuse AI into its core products and services. Naturally, that includes Windows. Beyond building Copilot into Windows 10 and 11, the company has been adding AI skills to several built-in apps, including Notepad, the Snipping Tool, and Paint. Also: 8 ways I use Microsoft's Copilot Vision AI to save time on my phone and PC In early 2024, Microsoft enhanced Paint with an AI-driven tool called Cocreator. Here, you describe the image you want and choose a particular style such as Charcoal, Ink Sketch, Watercolor, or Photorealistic. In response, Paint will generate the image for you, which you can then edit and revise. But Paint has been picking up other types of skills, most notably those usually found in high-end image editors like Photoshop. In 2023, Microsoft added layers to Paint so that you can create and edit different images, text, and other elements separately from each other. And just last week, Paint was updated with a project files feature that allows you to save your work in progress with all layers intact. Also: Copilot's new File Explorer tricks are serious OneDrive time-savers - how to try them With Windows AI Labs still in its nascent stages, we'll have to see which new AI features arrive in Paint for testing and which other apps Microsoft chooses as test subjects.

Microsoft is preparing to 'accelerate' development of Windows 11's AI features, starting with the Paint app

Microsoft has fired up a new scheme for testing AI features in Windows 11, starting with the Paint app. Windows Latest reports receiving an invitation to the new 'Windows AI Labs', which is a program for beta-testing incoming AI features (separate to existing preview builds of Windows 11, which are deployed via four different channels). The offer to join the scheme was presented to the tech site upon opening Microsoft Paint, and while it's initially just for that app, it'll be introduced to other applications in the future. The Verge confirmed the new program, receiving a statement from Mike Harsh, who is partner director of product management at Microsoft. Harsh explained: "The Windows AI Lab is a pilot acceleration program for validating novel AI feature ideas in Windows. The program focuses on rapid customer feedback on feature usability, customer interest, and market fit." The opportunity to join is only being offered to a small number of testers right now, apparently, with the scope doubtless set to be expanded at a later date. Windows Latest explains that the sign-up process doesn't even work yet - and the rollout of the offer happening now appears to be an error. Still, this is clearly coming soon enough given Microsoft's confirmation of the move. One thing this tells us is that there will soon be new AI features coming to Paint, an app which has already seen a few of these arrive (they may well be exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, too). The idea seems to be for Microsoft to get these abilities tested more swiftly so that it can make decisions on whether or not to proceed with them in a more timely manner. Of course, it'll come with the usual caveats attached to any beta testing. The new AI features may be wonky in some way, and you'll possibly find them going awry (maybe even badly, given that this effort is focused on 'rapidly' getting stuff out there for feedback). Features may end up being scrapped, too, as far from everything in testing makes the cut for the final version of any given app. Microsoft is obviously keen to push AI features as part of the drive to sell Copilot+ PCs, currently with an emphasis on grabbing the attention of those leaving Windows 10 when it hits End of Life soon enough. So, it isn't surprising to see the company looking to accelerate the development of those capabilities. However, some Windows 11 users are frustrated at Microsoft adding AI trimmings when those people just want existing functionality fixed (cough: File Explorer performance), or indeed the addressing of basic options that are still missing (like moving the taskbar away from the bottom of the screen).