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Microsoft has begun rolling out artificial intelligence enhancements to its longstanding Paint and Notepad applications on Windows, introducing tools for text editing and digital artwork creation. These updates are initially available to participants in the Windows 11 Canary and Dev channels through the Insider program, featuring capabilities that blend advanced AI with the simplicity of these basic programs.
In Paint, a new tool named Coloring Book allows users to create outlined templates for coloring pages directly from descriptive text inputs. Accessible through the Copilot integration within the app, the feature in version 11.2512.191.0 generates four variations based on prompts like a whimsical animal scene. Users can select and insert these into their workspace for digital coloring or printing for traditional use. This option is limited to Copilot Plus compatible hardware, suggesting an effort to highlight the potential of Microsoft’s AI-enabled devices. Additionally, Paint now includes a adjustable slider for fill tolerance, offering finer control over color application regardless of the PC’s AI specifications.
The updates raise questions about practical demand for such specialized functions in everyday tools like Paint, which has long served casual users from families to those seeking light relief. For Notepad, version 11.2512.10.0 adds streaming previews for AI-driven Write, Rewrite, and Summarize operations, enabling quicker glimpses of results without full processing delays. The app also introduces a guided onboarding screen to showcase its features and expands Markdown support to include strikethrough text and multi-level lists.
Further details on these enhancements appear in Microsoft’s Insider blog post, while prior Notepad AI developments were covered in a separate report.
