What you need to know
- Microsoft has announced that the Windows 11 Photos app is getting a new AI powered “Generative Eraser” feature.
- The feature will use AI to identify people and objects in the background of images, and let users remove them with a more realistic result.
- This follows Google’s special Magic Eraser mode, which launched on Pixel devices and Android phones over a year ago.
The AI train just doesn’t stop at Microsoft, with Windows 11 getting a new AI capability almost monthly at this point. Today, Microsoft has announced a new “Generative Eraser” feature for the built-in Photos app on Windows 11, which will use AI to identify objects and people in the background of images, and allow the user to remove them with ease.
This new feature is rolling out in preview now, on both Windows 11 and Windows 10, and will be made generally available over the coming weeks. Microsoft says the new Generative Eraser feature works as an enhanced version of the spot fix tool that the Photos app already had, offering a more seamless and realistic result when removing people and objects in the background.
The Photos app has received a number of AI powered features over the last several months, including a built-in background blur tool, and the ability to replace the background of an image. These features are small part of a larger effort to turn Windows into an AI OS, with the upcoming Windows 11 version 24H2 release expected to include “groundbreaking” AI features such as natural language search and an advanced Copilot.
Additionally, Microsoft has added AI capabilities to apps like Photos, Outlook, and even Notepad. The upcoming wave of AI PCs are also expected to include additional AI functionality that isn’t currently possible with today’s hardware.
