Microsoft’s Bing search engine is introducing a new AI-powered image creator called Bing Image Creator. This feature, powered by an advanced version of OpenAI’s DALL-E model, will allow users to generate images by simply describing what they want. By typing in a description of an image, providing additional context like location or activity, and selecting an art style, Bing Image Creator will generate an image based on the user’s imagination.
Initially available in the Bing preview, Bing Image Creator will be fully integrated into the Bing chat experience in Creative mode. Additionally, Microsoft is bringing this feature to its Edge browser with a new icon in the sidebar that allows users to create images using a text entry prompt. The image creator will be limited to the creative mode in Bing at first, with plans to optimize it for multi-turn chats in the future.
Microsoft is being cautious with its image creation feature after Bing faced backlash for its rude responses last month. Bing has three modes of responses: creative, balanced, and precise. Creative mode focuses on original and imaginative responses, while precise mode prioritizes accuracy and relevancy for factual and concise answers.
For those not in the Bing preview, the Bing Image Creator can be accessed separately at bing.com/create for English text-to-image generation. Microsoft intends to add support for more languages over time. Bing preview users can access the image creator through the chatbot prompt or Microsoft Edge.
While Microsoft is moving quickly to bring AI-powered text-to-image features to Bing, experts have raised concerns about the potential misuse of such technology. Text-to-image systems could be exploited for propaganda, harassment, misinformation, and more. To address these concerns, Microsoft has employed safeguards, including additional protections incorporated into Image Creator. The system can detect potentially harmful images and block the prompt while warning the user.
In addition to the image creator, Microsoft is introducing Stories and Knowledge Cards 2.0 features to Bing for all users. Stories provide snippets of information with images and short videos, while Knowledge Cards highlight key information using AI-powered technology.
As Microsoft expands the capabilities of its Bing search engine with AI, it remains committed to protecting against misuse and maintaining user safety. With the Bing Image Creator, Microsoft aims to provide a creative tool for users while implementing measures to prevent the generation of harmful or unsafe images.
