Over the past few months, Microsoft has made significant strides in the generative AI landscape, seemingly asserting its independence from OpenAI by unveiling two in-house AI models in August, including MAI-Voice-1 and MAI-1-preview.
The tech giant also unveiled its new in-house text-to-image generator, MAI-Image-1. More recently, Microsoft's AI CEO, Mustafa Suleyman, announced that the custom image generator is now available in Bing Image Creator and Copilot Audio Expressions. However, it's worth noting that the model isn't available in the EU, though it is expected to ship soon.
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/9hL81LTFwFIt really excels at:-artistic lighting/photorealistic detail-nature scenes-food!Drop your creations below ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/E2J20L2PpXNovember 4, 2025
According to the executive, MAI-Image-1 excels at generating images of natural scenes, artistic lighting/photorealistic detail, and food, which sets it apart from the vast majority of larger but slower models.
Its combination of speed and quality means users can get their ideas on screen faster, iterate through them quickly, and then transfer their work to other tools to continue refining.
Microsoft
That said, you can now select MAI-Image-1 as your preferred model when trying to create images on the Bing Image Creator app. However, OpenAI's DALL-E 3 image technology and GPT-4o are still available as options on the platform.
FAQ
Will Microsoft stop using OpenAI models?
While the companies signed a new definitive agreement, Microsoft’s IP rights for both models and products are extended through 2032, including post-AGI models. This means that the company will continue to integrate OpenAI's technology across its products and services.
Does Microsoft develop its own AI models?
Until recently, the company heavily relied on OpenAI for its AI advances. However, it has since launched two custom AI models, MAI-Voice-1 and MAI-1-preview, to establish independence from the AI firm, though AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman admitted that the off-frontier offerings might be 3 to 6 months behind OpenAI's technology.
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