Microsoft has launched a new program called Windows AI Lab, which allows you to test experimental AI features in built-in Windows applications. The first testing ground was Microsoft Paint, where an invitation to join the program appeared in the latest test builds, writes The Verge.
According to Mike Harsh, director of product management at Microsoft, Windows AI Lab is a "pilot accelerator program to test new AI ideas in Windows" that focuses on rapid feedback on usability, user engagement, and market feasibility.
Program participants will receive early access to experimental features that may not make it into the final versions. Microsoft warns that the quality of these features may differ from the usual level of Windows apps.
It is not yet known what tools, particularly for Paint, the company will test within the AI Lab. Recently, the application has received a number of features that make it closer to Photoshop - transparency, working with layers and a separate .paint format for projects. It is expected that generative AI tools like those that Adobe integrates into Photoshop may be next.
Microsoft is also expanding AI capabilities in other Windows applications: free AI functions have appeared in Notepad, and AI tips for working with files in Explorer. The company is also massively integrating interaction with Copilot. Windows AI Lab should become a separate channel for rapid testing of such innovations before their possible large-scale launch.