Windows 11’s best legacy apps get much-needed AI-powered love from Microsoft — but the best experience is Copilot+ PC limited
Microsoft is adding some AI magic to its legacy apps for Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels on Windows 11.
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What you need to know
Microsoft recently shipped a new build to Windows 11 Insiders, featuringnew next-gen AI experiences for its legacy apps, including Paint and Notepad. The new features are in the testing phase viaWindows Insidersin the Canary and Dev Channels on Windows 11 for a fine-tuned and enhanced experience based on feedback.
Right off the bat, Microsoft Paint is gaining a generative fill creation tool. It’s designed to help enhance creations using a few words by allowing users to make edits and intricate additions. “Generative fill helps you fine-tune your digital art, with just enough AI to assist you in realizing your creative vision while remaining in full control of the output,” added Microsoft.
Have you ever been bummed with certain elements captured in an image? Microsoft Paint’s new generative erase feature is the perfect tool and will help remove these elements in an otherwise perfect photo. What’s more, it fills the space to align with the rest of the image, creating an illusion that the unwanted object was never there in the first place.
Next up, Microsoft has updated Cocreator’s diffusion-based model “to deliver better results faster, and with built-in moderation, it’s a creative experience you can trust.” However, this improvement is shipping exclusively toMicrosoft’s high-end Copilot+ PCs.Image Creator in Paintis expanding to more markets, including the United States, France, the UK, Canada, Italy, and Germany.
Notepad gets a big AI push
As you might have guessed, the new update brings AI-powered rewrite capabilities to Notepad. According to Microsoft:
“You can rephrase sentences, adjust the tone, and modify the length of your content based on your preferences to refine your text.”
To access the feature, highlight the text you’d like to rephrase. Next, right-click and choose the Rewrite option. The feature will generate three variations of the text you’d like to rewrite. You can select the option that best suits you or refine the output further by navigating to the rewrite settings and selecting the Retry option.
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Additionally, the tool will help Windows 11 users make their content longer or shorter based on their preferences, including nifty modifications to the tone and format.
Once testing is complete, Microsoft will likely push these app updates to non-Windows Insiders in the coming months. Stay tuned for that.
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Kevin Okemwa is a seasoned tech journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya with lots of experience covering the latest trends and developments in the industry at Windows Central. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail, he has written for leading publications such as OnMSFT, MakeUseOf, and Windows Report, providing insightful analysis and breaking news on everything revolving around the Microsoft ecosystem. You’ll also catch him occasionally contributing at iMore about Apple and AI. While AFK and not busy following the ever-emerging trends in tech, you can find him exploring the world or listening to music.
