Good news for designers and content creators as Microsoft has announced several new big additions to the Microsoft 365 suite of tools. These additions are specifically focused on the needs and demands of content creators and designers. The new tools are Microsoft Designer and the Bing Image Creator.
But what is the big deal here?
The big deal is that both of these integrate the currently popular AI image generator - DALL-E 2. This is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool that can generate original images via text-based descriptions and Microsoft is leveraging it in many different ways.
Before we move ahead, let’s take a little dig into DALL - E 2:
- DALL·E 2 has been making rounds ever since it was first released back in April because it looked as if it might be the most advanced AI art generator as of yet
- It generates art based on text prompts. It couldn't be simpler than it sounds or looks
- Once the user has completed the DALL-E 2 sign up to open an account, they can access the program from their browser on the DALL-E 2 website
- Next, they will have to type in a description of what they want and DALL-E 2 will create the image.
- In reality, though, it appears the results can be a little haphazard at times, but it can be useful to learn how to polish design prompts in order to increase the likelihood of getting the desired results. That's where a new DALL·E 2 prompt book comes in
So, here was a quick insight into DALL- E 2. Now let’s get back to Microsoft’s integration of DALL-E 2.
Microsoft Designer
Microsoft Designer has been designed in such a way that it can help social media content creators and managers in creating advanced and original designs using the power of AI and without needing extensive knowledge of design.
How can it be accessed?
- Users can start with a simple prompt for the kind of image they want to see, and Microsoft Designer starts building it out using AI to create something unique and original.
- Users can also feed additional content to Microsoft Designer, including images and text, and the tool will automatically integrate them into the final design. Thus, creating an image that will suit the user’s needs more closely and without requiring much work.
Microsoft has started inviting people to sign up for early access to Microsoft Designer, but ultimately it will be part of Microsoft 365; which will be a free app. It will also have additional options available for Microsoft 365 subscribers.
Designer will also be integrated into Microsoft Edge so that its features are directly embedded in the browser without having to switch between apps while making a social media post design.
Image Creator
The Image Creator feature in the Bing browser is simpler in its concept than Microsoft Design.
What does it do?
- Image creator is for the times when the user can’t find an image that’s just right for their needs
- So, instead of searching for an image, they can just create it
- Using DALL-E 2, Image Creator can generate an original image based on a description provided by the user
- The user can add details like locations or art styles to get the look they want
As reported, Microsoft is rolling this out step-by-step to gather feedback and improve the user experience. The company is well aware of the fact that AI-based tools come with substantial risks; so it’s taking a measured and careful approach to roll these features out for public use.
On the other hand, OpenAI – the developers of DALL-E 2 – has reportedly removed explicit images from the dataset that used to train the model through which Image Creator is powered so that users don’t accidentally run into anything inappropriate.
Additionally, Microsoft also applied some filters to prevent the tool from generating images that violate its policies.
No matter what, this integration is something that content creators and designers are looking forward to getting their hands on.
However, Microsoft has not launched this integration yet and it will be first launching in the US. So, if you are not in the US, you have to wait a little bit more.
