Microsoft Launches MAI-Image-1 AI Image Generator on Bing

Microsoft’s Advancements in AI with MAI-Image-1

Microsoft is making significant strides in artificial intelligence, focusing on creating proprietary AI models to enhance customer experiences and deliver innovative products. Earlier this year, the tech giant introduced its inaugural in-house AI models: MAI-Voice-1 and MAI-1-preview. Following this, the company recently unveiled its third model, MAI-Image-1, aimed at competing with existing image generation technologies, including OpenAI’s GPT-Image-1 and Google’s Gemini/Imagen.

As of today, users can access the MAI-Image-1 model directly via Bing.com/create and the Bing mobile applications. To utilize this advanced image generation tool, users need to select MAI-Image-1 from the model picker. Notably, this service is available in countries that support Bing Image Creator and Copilot Labs, though the rollout is still pending for users in the European Union. Microsoft has confirmed that EU users will gain access soon.

Key Features and Innovations of MAI-Image-1

The development behind MAI-Image-1 prioritized minimizing the incidence of repetitive or overly stylized outputs. This was accomplished through meticulous data selection and comprehensive task-specific evaluations. The team at Microsoft claims that MAI-Image-1 excels in producing photorealistic images, including detailed landscapes and a variety of other subjects.

Moreover, speed is a notable advantage of this model; Microsoft asserts that MAI-Image-1 operates significantly faster than many large-scale image generation models available today, positioning it favorably in the competitive AI landscape.

MAI-Image-1 has shipped 🚢 Try it now at https://t.co/24MRu9VQ0z or the Bing app. Plus, it’ll generate custom art for your Story Mode audio at https://t.co/9hL81LTFwF. It really excels at:

Artistic lighting/photorealistic detail

Nature scenes

Food!

Drop your creations below ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/E2J20L2PpX — Mustafa Suleyman (@mustafasuleyman) November 4, 2025

Positioning in the AI Landscape

Despite its promising features, MAI-Image-1 currently ranks #9 in LMArena’s Image Arena, highlighting that Microsoft still faces tough competition from leading AI labs, including OpenAI, Bytedance, Google DeepMind, and Tencent. Nevertheless, the release of MAI-Image-1 underscores Microsoft’s commitment to establishing a robust and competitive AI framework.

In conclusion, Microsoft’s ongoing efforts in developing AI technologies signal a keen intention to innovate and stand out in a crowded market. As they continue to refine their models, the landscape of AI applications could experience significant transformations.

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