Microsoft’s Windows AI Lab is a new way to test experimental features

Microsoft is starting to test experimental AI-powered features through a new Windows AI Labs program. Some Windows testers spotted references to the Windows AI Labs program in pre-release updates to Microsoft Paint last week, and Microsoft has now confirmed to The Verge that the program is designed to provide early access to new AI features across Windows.

“The Windows AI Lab is a pilot acceleration program for validating novel AI feature ideas in Windows,” says Mike Harsh, partner director of product management at Microsoft, in a statement to The Verge. “The program focuses on rapid customer feedback on feature usability, customer interest, and market fit.“

While the prompt to access Windows AI Labs features has appeared in some versions of Paint, it’s not yet clear what Paint features Microsoft plans to test initially. Microsoft has been adding Photoshop-like features to Paint recently, including transparency, layers, and even .paint project files. I wouldn’t be surprised to see AI tools inside Paint that are similar to some of the work Adobe is doing in Photoshop.

Microsoft has also been updating a variety of Windows apps with AI-powered features, including free AI features for Notepad, image generation capabilities in Paint, and AI actions in File Explorer.