In brief: Microsoft has introduced numerous GenAI functions to promote Copilot+ PCs, including new image editing tools for Paint that just came out of beta. Notably, the new tools are not exclusive to devices with Copilot+ certified processors like Snapdragon X or more recent Intel and AMD mobile chips.
Windows 11 users who open Paint should now begin seeing the option to erase objects or remove backgrounds from photos using GenAI. The features became available to Windows Insiders last fall and now appear on all Windows 11 systems.
The functionality resembles the background and object removal features currently available on most smartphones. After using the selection box tool, the "Generative erase" and "Remove background" buttons appear below the box.
After clicking on Generative erase while selecting an object, Paint attempts to remove it and fill in the space to match the background using a small language model. Users can also click the eraser tool, then click the Generative erase icon on the left side of the window, brush over the desired area, and click "apply." Meanwhile, selecting background removal isolates the chosen object and pastes it onto a white background.
Like other AI tools, Paint's GenAI features were exclusive to PCs with Snapdragon X processors when they first arrived last year. Microsoft began promoting GenAI with Snapdragon X laptops and its Copilot chatbot, which utilizes NPUs to operate without relying on cloud servers. AI functionality has since come to Windows apps like Photos and even Notepad.
Copilot+ features were initially exclusive to Snapdragon X CPUs but recently became available on Intel Core Ultra 200 and AMD Ryzen AI 300 processors. However, Generative erase and background removal in Paint are also available on older systems. This writer tested the tools on a PC with a 13th-gen Intel Core CPU. Microsoft has also aimed the latest version of Windows 11, 24H2, primarily toward enhancing GenAI, though the new Paint functions are also available on 23H2.
Removing the background from an image is nearly instant, but deleting objects like people or vehicles takes around half a minute. Furthermore, generative erase struggles with complex backgrounds and high resolutions.
While it performs better than an average person using tools like the conventional eraser or blur, it still leaves behind noticeable artifacts. The feature might run faster and more accurately on newer processors with NPUs.
Microsoft Paint AI eraser is now available for all Windows 11 users, not just Copilot PCs
