Microsoft Launches Its First In-House AI Image Generator, MAI-Image-1 – How to Use it?

Microsoft has officially launched its first in-house AI image generator, called MAI-Image-1. The model is now available in two of Microsoft’s key products, Bing Image Creator and Copilot Audio Expressions. The company announced the model in October, marking a new chapter in its journey toward developing independent AI systems.

Microsoft’s AI chief, Mustafa Suleyman, shared the update on X (formerly Twitter). He said the model will soon roll out to users in the European Union (EU) as well. Suleyman explained that MAI-Image-1 performs especially well when generating food images, nature scenes, and artistic lighting effects. It also creates photorealistic images that look strikingly real, offering users high-quality visuals in less time.

Microsoft Launches Its First In-House AI Image Generator, MAI-Image-1 – How to Use it?

According to Microsoft’s official blog, MAI-Image-1 stands out because of its balance between speed and quality. Unlike many large and slower models, it can produce detailed and realistic images much faster. The company said users can easily bring their ideas to life, make changes quickly, and then move their work to other tools for further editing.

The model is particularly good at creating realistic lighting effects, reflections, and landscapes. This makes it suitable for both professionals and casual users who want to design creative content or visual art efficiently.

Integration with Copilot and Bing – How to Try it?

Microsoft has integrated MAI-Image-1 into Copilot Audio Expressions, a tool that creates AI-generated stories with sound and visuals. In “story mode,” the image generator will produce AI-generated art that matches the tone and theme of audio stories. This combination of image and sound shows Microsoft’s effort to make AI tools more creative and immersive.

At the same time, users can access MAI-Image-1 directly through the Bing Image Creator website or app. On this platform, it appears as one of three available models. The other two are OpenAI’s DALL-E 3 and GPT-4o. Users can choose MAI-Image-1 for faster generation and high-quality results.

See Also: Microsoft Reveals AI Chip Cooling Breakthrough with Microfluidics

Microsoft’s Expanding AI Ecosystem

This launch comes after Microsoft introduced its first batch of in-house AI models in August 2025 — the MAI-Voice-1 speech model and the MAI-1-preview text-based model. These models were the first signs of Microsoft moving toward more independence from OpenAI’s technology.

Although Microsoft continues to use OpenAI’s models, such as GPT-5, in its Copilot assistant, it is also adding its own AI systems and even offering Anthropic’s Claude models as extra options. This shows Microsoft’s strategy to diversify its AI ecosystem and reduce reliance on any single partner.

Is MAI-Image-1 Available in Pakistan?

Yes, users in Pakistan can access it directly through Bing Image Creator and Microsoft Copilot, where the model is already integrated. Anyone using these platforms can test the new image generator’s capabilities.