Microsoft Paint’s new Cocreator helps you create fantastical AI art

Microsoft Paint is gaining generative AI powers with Paint Cocreator, a new feature debuting in conjunction that will eventually arrive in Windows 11 23H2, now known as the Windows 11 2023 Update.

It’s a big win for Paint, which was on its deathbed as late as 2017. Now, Paint will essentially become a launcher and editor for Microsoft’s Bing Image Creator, a lovely AI art tool that creates AI-generated images from text prompts. After adding trivial features like dark mode, Microsoft wowed users by adding Photoshop-like transparency and layers to Paint, too.

This doesn’t appear to be an overly complex update: A new “Cocreator” button appears on the toolbar. Click it, and a sidebar opens to the right. There, you can simply add a text prompt, select a style, and Cocreator will create the resulting image in Paint for you to edit. It’s bad news for those creators who have spent painstaking hours in Paint, crafting masterpieces in a tool that’s been far outpaced by competitors. Still, it’s certainly a victory for those who have always regarded Paint as a quick, easy method for creating and editing images.

There is, unfortunately, a catch. Paint will require you to download the latest Windows 11 22H2 update, then wait a few weeks for the updated Paint app to be available. You can also opt to download the Windows Insider version of Paint and sit on a waitlist until your turn arrives. (Microsoft is using the separate Windows 11 23H2 update, also known as the Windows 11 2023 Update, as a cumulative rollup release, for the fourth quarter. Cocreator for Paint should be available then, too.)

Until then, you’ll have to be content with opening Image Creator and cutting and pasting the resulting image into Paint!