Artificial intelligence is sweeping through every corner of the digital landscape, and Microsoft is ensuring it doesn't overlook even its most fundamental tools. Windows 11, more than any previous iteration of the iconic operating system, is on a mission to become an AI-powered productivity hub. That ambition is now crystal-clear as Microsoft begins testing generative AI features in three of its oldest and most familiar apps: Paint, Notepad, and Snipping Tool. For Windows Insiders—with the right hardware—these updated apps are already redefining the longstanding boundaries between user and machine.
Since late 2023, Microsoft’s Copilot AI has been a central pillar of its Windows 11 strategy, laying the foundation for deeper, system-wide integration. This rollout drives Copilot beyond its roots as a conversational AI and workspace assistant into the core of daily computing[1†web]. The addition of generative AI to Paint, Notepad, and Snipping Tool signals not only a technical upgrade for these applications, but also a wider paradigm shift in how Windows users will interact with basic productivity tools.
Microsoft’s approach isn’t simply about cramming AI into every textbox or menu. Instead, it’s about transforming the creative and functional potential of the operating system as a whole. As these features move through the Windows Insider testing channels—the Dev and Canary Rings—insiders are getting a first glimpse at how text prompts, instant image generation, and context-sensitive cropping might alter mundane tasks forever[2†web].
Early reports from Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels indicate that the AI sticker-generation tool is responsive, though the richness and nuance of the output can be highly variable. Text-to-image models still occasionally misinterpret prompts or produce odd graphical artifacts, a phenomenon well-documented in the AI art community. Nevertheless, the democratization of such power in Paint is a headline-grabbing leap forward.
Potential risks, however, persist. Generative models may inadvertently reflect biases from their training data, inadvertently producing insensitive results if prompted with ambiguous or problematic inputs. Furthermore, reliance on proprietary hardware (Copilot+ PCs) means older devices could become outdated faster, frustrating users who don’t wish to upgrade.
Microsoft’s investment in NPU-powered PCs again comes into play here, as local processing can mean faster results and greater privacy. Yet, features requiring Copilot+ hardware (and, in some cases, Microsoft 365 or Copilot Pro subscriptions) spark debate about accessibility and the creeping stratification of Windows feature sets.
Some of these functions may be gated behind paywalls for enterprise users, as a Microsoft 365 or Copilot Pro subscription is required to unlock the full AI suite. The consumer version might offer basic suggestions for free, but the premium tier can handle richer, multi-step tasks.
Moreover, advanced functionalities—like rich text expansion in Notepad or higher-resolution creations in Paint—may only be available with an active Microsoft 365 or Copilot Pro subscription. This approach is consistent with Microsoft’s push to monetize premium productivity features but risks alienating users on legacy devices or tighter budgets.
However, some details—like the exact subscription requirements for each feature, or the pace of rollout to older PCs—remain fluid. Microsoft’s press materials and Insider Preview notes are occasionally vague about what will remain free versus paid, or local versus cloud-powered. Users are encouraged to monitor the feedback hubs and Insider community forums for evolving details.
Given the rise in privacy concerns around cloud-based generative AI, Microsoft’s pivot toward NPU-accelerated, on-device processing is a strong selling point for businesses with regulatory sensitivities, as well as individual users anxious about data leaving their machine.
The company’s choices around hardware gating, privacy controls, and pricing will set vital precedents. Windows now has the opportunity to make generative AI not just a Silicon Valley curiosity, but an everyday utility for hundreds of millions globally. If Microsoft can balance speed, trust, and inclusivity, it could reshape what users expect from the world’s most widely used operating system.
The broader rollout will test Microsoft’s ability to marry technological ambition with responsible stewardship and equitable access. If these generative AI features prove robust, reliable, and respectful of user needs, the humble apps of yesterday could become the AI workhorses of tomorrow—heralding a new era where every Windows user is just a click away from creativity and productivity unleashed.
Source: Zamin.uz Microsoft adds AI to Paint, Notepad, and Snipping Tool - Zamin.uz, 26.05.2025
Since late 2023, Microsoft’s Copilot AI has been a central pillar of its Windows 11 strategy, laying the foundation for deeper, system-wide integration. This rollout drives Copilot beyond its roots as a conversational AI and workspace assistant into the core of daily computing[1†web]. The addition of generative AI to Paint, Notepad, and Snipping Tool signals not only a technical upgrade for these applications, but also a wider paradigm shift in how Windows users will interact with basic productivity tools.Microsoft’s approach isn’t simply about cramming AI into every textbox or menu. Instead, it’s about transforming the creative and functional potential of the operating system as a whole. As these features move through the Windows Insider testing channels—the Dev and Canary Rings—insiders are getting a first glimpse at how text prompts, instant image generation, and context-sensitive cropping might alter mundane tasks forever[2†web].
What’s New in Paint: AI Stickers and Beyond
Generative Stickers: Creativity Unleashed
Paint, once the go-to application for basic sketches and quick image edits, is now punching above its weight. The standout new feature is the ability to generate digital stickers using plain text prompts. Users can instruct Paint to visualize an idea, such as “a rocket on Mars” or “a cat reading a book,” and the AI will create a sticker based on that description[3†web]. This generative capability, once the stuff of dedicated design suites or web-based AIs like DALL·E, is now integrated directly within a lightweight application most users already know.Technical Requirements and Performance
It’s important to note that some AI capabilities in Paint—especially those reliant on more sophisticated models—demand robust hardware. Microsoft has specified that certain features require a Copilot+ PC, a new class of Windows devices powered by dedicated neural processing units (NPUs). These are designed to accelerate AI workloads locally rather than relying solely on cloud resources[4†web][5†web]. This localization aims to improve performance, keep data more private, and cut down on network dependency.Early reports from Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels indicate that the AI sticker-generation tool is responsive, though the richness and nuance of the output can be highly variable. Text-to-image models still occasionally misinterpret prompts or produce odd graphical artifacts, a phenomenon well-documented in the AI art community. Nevertheless, the democratization of such power in Paint is a headline-grabbing leap forward.
User Experience in Paint: Risks and Rewards
On the plus side, the creative potential is enormous: educators, marketers, and hobbyists now have access to a proto-design-tool capable of instantly transforming ideas into visual elements for presentations, social media, or teaching materials. It’s a boon for users who lack the specialized skills or budget for advanced graphic design software.Potential risks, however, persist. Generative models may inadvertently reflect biases from their training data, inadvertently producing insensitive results if prompted with ambiguous or problematic inputs. Furthermore, reliance on proprietary hardware (Copilot+ PCs) means older devices could become outdated faster, frustrating users who don’t wish to upgrade.
Snipping Tool: “Perfect Screenshot” and the Rise of AI Editing
Introducing “Perfect Screenshot”
The humble Snipping Tool has always been about convenience—snip, save, share. Now, AI is set to make it smarter. The “Perfect Screenshot” feature employs generative intelligence to automatically crop screenshots, identifying the most relevant portion of a captured image based on content and context[2†web]. This could drastically reduce time spent cropping and formatting images for documentation, bug reports, social posts, or work presentations.How It Works: Under the Hood
Auto-cropping is hardly new in concept, but implementing it reliably on a desktop tool—versus a cloud platform—places it in the workflow of millions instantly. By using AI to analyze visual elements (text, faces, UI components, etc.), the tool attempts to intuit what the user actually cares about in a busy screenshot. In the early Insider builds, users report that the tool is accurate most of the time, but can be tripped up by complex or ambiguous scenes (e.g., screenshots containing both a browser window and a video call overlay).Microsoft’s investment in NPU-powered PCs again comes into play here, as local processing can mean faster results and greater privacy. Yet, features requiring Copilot+ hardware (and, in some cases, Microsoft 365 or Copilot Pro subscriptions) spark debate about accessibility and the creeping stratification of Windows feature sets.
Implications: Efficiency, Privacy, and User Control
For professionals and casual users alike, smarter screenshot tools offer immense productivity gains. Routine tasks like creating tutorials or flagging app issues are turbocharged. But the stakes for privacy are raised: an AI capable of interpreting and cropping screenshots could, theoretically, surface and focus on sensitive information without user intervention. Microsoft assures that features run locally for Copilot+ PCs, but vigilance is needed as such tools become core workflow components.Notepad Grows Up: AI Text Generation Enters the Chat
The AI Leap in Notepad
Perhaps the most radical transformation is reserved for Notepad—a text editor that has remained almost unchanged for decades. With the new AI integration, Notepad users can now request automatically generated text based on a prompt or partial input[3†web][4†web]. Whether it’s summarizing content, expanding notes, rewriting a sentence, or crafting quick email drafts, Notepad’s AI becomes a productivity multiplier.What Can Users Expect?
So far, testers are discovering that Notepad’s AI capabilities are powered by technology akin to Copilot and other GPT-style models, offering contextual understanding and grammatical accuracy far beyond legacy spellchecks. The feature’s quality is dependent on the complexity of the request: basic expansions and rewrites tend to work flawlessly, but more nuanced tasks—like creative fiction or technical documentation—can generate less reliable results.Some of these functions may be gated behind paywalls for enterprise users, as a Microsoft 365 or Copilot Pro subscription is required to unlock the full AI suite. The consumer version might offer basic suggestions for free, but the premium tier can handle richer, multi-step tasks.
Value and Concerns
The value proposition for students, writers, and knowledge workers is huge. Drafting ideas, correcting grammar, and brainstorming synonyms on the fly could become second nature, embedded in an app that launches instantly with Windows. But critics fret over the privacy of generated text, especially if prompts or results leave the local device (for instance, if processed in the cloud for non-NPU hardware). Additionally, there’s concern about overreliance: as Notepad becomes “smarter,” will users risk losing fundamental writing and editing skills?Requirements: Who Gets Access?
Copilot+ PC and Subscription Barriers
One of the more controversial elements surrounding these upgrades is the tiered access model. Not every Windows 11 user will be able to use the full suite right away. Microsoft’s generative AI features often require a Copilot+ PC—devices sporting the latest NPUs for on-device AI processing. These are mostly recent machines from major OEMs like Dell, HP, and Lenovo, with strict minimum configuration standards set by Microsoft[6†web][5†web].Moreover, advanced functionalities—like rich text expansion in Notepad or higher-resolution creations in Paint—may only be available with an active Microsoft 365 or Copilot Pro subscription. This approach is consistent with Microsoft’s push to monetize premium productivity features but risks alienating users on legacy devices or tighter budgets.
Windows Insider Channels: Dev and Canary in Focus
As of this writing, all these enhancements are available for testing via the Windows Insider Dev and Canary channels. These channels are Microsoft’s frontline for feature experimentation: Dev is aimed at developers and tech enthusiasts who want early access alongside reasonable stability, while Canary is typically used for the rawest, most experimental upgrades. Broad rollout to the “stable” channel is likely contingent upon refinement and feedback, especially relating to performance on non-NPU hardware.Cross-Validating the Claims: What Do Independent Sources Say?
A review of announcements, firsthand Insider reports, and independent technology analyses confirms the broad outlines of Microsoft’s AI rollout. Multiple reputable sites, including The Verge and Windows Central, have referenced new generative features in Paint, Snipping Tool, and Notepad in the latest Insider builds[1†web][7†web]. The Copilot+ PC requirement is also widely documented, with OEM announcements and Microsoft’s own documentation citing NPU hardware as a cornerstone of local, privacy-respecting AI acceleration[5†web][6†web].However, some details—like the exact subscription requirements for each feature, or the pace of rollout to older PCs—remain fluid. Microsoft’s press materials and Insider Preview notes are occasionally vague about what will remain free versus paid, or local versus cloud-powered. Users are encouraged to monitor the feedback hubs and Insider community forums for evolving details.
The Bigger Picture: Strengths of Microsoft’s AI-First Strategy
Accelerating Accessibility
Embedding generative AI into everyday tools vastly broadens access: people who might never engage with standalone AI art websites or cloud-based text generators now have cutting-edge capabilities a click away. This levels the playing field for creative expression and productivity—especially for students, teachers, and small business owners who rely on built-in Windows apps.Seamless Integration and Familiarity
By choosing legacy apps as the launch point, Microsoft sidesteps the friction of new software adoption. Most users already know how to navigate Paint, Snipping Tool, and Notepad. The new features feel evolutionary, not revolutionary, which reduces the intimidation factor and learning curve. This design strategy ensures that AI usefulness isn’t buried behind paid app stores or complicated cloud signups.Reinforcing the Hardware Ecosystem
The Copilot+ PC requirement doubles as both a technological and marketing strategy. As ARM and NPU-equipped devices become school and office staples, Microsoft’s insistence on local AI processing serves as a differentiator versus its cloud-heavy competitors—Google’s Chromebook ecosystem, for instance, or Apple’s reliance on cloud-linked generative AI in select products.Given the rise in privacy concerns around cloud-based generative AI, Microsoft’s pivot toward NPU-accelerated, on-device processing is a strong selling point for businesses with regulatory sensitivities, as well as individual users anxious about data leaving their machine.
Watch Points: Shortcomings and Risks
Digital Divide
The hardware requirements for the most advanced AI features introduce a new kind of digital divide. Only users with the latest devices and, sometimes, expensive subscriptions, will experience the full benefit. This may leave students, nonprofits, and developing-world users behind, undercutting the promise of universal accessibility.Privacy and Data Use
Even as Microsoft touts on-device processing, questions linger around how prompts and generated content might be analyzed or logged. The intertwining of local and cloud-based AI workloads isn’t always fully transparent to end users. In educational contexts—where screenshot and text generation tools may be used by minors—privacy features and consent become paramount.Reliability of AI Outputs
Generative AI is powerful but imperfect. Paint’s sticker tool sometimes creates irrelevant or strange images, while Notepad’s text expansion can miss context or insert factual errors. If users are unaware of these pitfalls, or too trusting of AI-generated content, mistakes may proliferate.Subscription Fatigue
With parts of the new AI ecosystem locked behind Microsoft 365 or Copilot Pro, some users may balk at the growing stream of subscription fees for what once felt like basic computing tools. Early feedback from Insider forums highlights frustration over the blend of free and paid experiences.The Road Ahead: What’s Next for Windows and AI?
Microsoft’s current wave of testing is laying the groundwork for what could become a radically transformed Windows experience. If Paint, Notepad, and Snipping Tool can become the vanguard for accessible, generative AI, it’s likely that many more legacy apps will follow—think AI-augmented File Explorer, or PowerToys with AI-powered automation scripts.The company’s choices around hardware gating, privacy controls, and pricing will set vital precedents. Windows now has the opportunity to make generative AI not just a Silicon Valley curiosity, but an everyday utility for hundreds of millions globally. If Microsoft can balance speed, trust, and inclusivity, it could reshape what users expect from the world’s most widely used operating system.
Conclusion: The High Stakes of Everyday AI
As AI weaves deeper into the tapestry of Windows 11, its integration with Paint, Notepad, and Snipping Tool represents more than a technical milestone—it marks a redefinition of what’s possible from a PC’s simplest tools. The potential gains in creativity, efficiency, and accessibility are striking, but so too are the challenges around privacy, hardware access, and subscription costs. For now, Windows Insiders are at the forefront of this evolution, testing not just new features but the boundaries of how we interact with technology itself.The broader rollout will test Microsoft’s ability to marry technological ambition with responsible stewardship and equitable access. If these generative AI features prove robust, reliable, and respectful of user needs, the humble apps of yesterday could become the AI workhorses of tomorrow—heralding a new era where every Windows user is just a click away from creativity and productivity unleashed.
Source: Zamin.uz Microsoft adds AI to Paint, Notepad, and Snipping Tool - Zamin.uz, 26.05.2025