Microsoft has started testing a new AI-powered feature in the Microsoft Photos app for Windows 11, designed to automatically categorize users' images.
AI Photo Categorization
Dubbed Auto-Categorization, the feature is currently limited to sorting specific types of documents: screenshots, receipts, identity documents, and notes. It is rolling out to Copilot+ PCs across all Windows Insider channels (version 2025.11090.25001.0 or higher of the Photos app).
Microsoft Senior Product Manager Ronnie Myers stated that this new tool uses a language-agnostic AI model to identify document types based purely on visual content, regardless of the language visible in the image. It automatically groups photos into predefined folders, aiming to save time and reduce clutter. Users can quickly find these images using the category list on the left or the Search bar. The app allows users to manually adjust categories or provide feedback to improve accuracy.
It remains unclear whether this feature processes data locally on the PC or sends any information to Microsoft's servers, as the company has not yet provided clarification.
Broader AI Expansion
The Auto-Categorization feature is part of Microsoft's broader effort to integrate AI across Windows 11 and its applications, especially on Copilot+ PCs. Other recent AI enhancements include:
- Super Resolution The ability to enhance and enlarge images up to eight times the original size, now rolling out to AMD and Intel Copilot+ PCs.
- Photo Search and Relight Earlier this year, Insiders began testing an improved photo search that supports natural language, along with Relight, which adds dynamic lighting controls to images.
- Copilot in Other Apps Microsoft is also adding AI features to the Windows 11 File Explorer and is rolling out Copilot Chat to paid Microsoft 365 business customers. The company is even testing an AI-powered Gaming Copilot and adding free AI writing capabilities to Notepad on Copilot+ PCs.
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