Microsoft Faces Backlash Over Bing Image Creator’s AI Upgrade

As the holidays approached, Microsoft announced a significant upgrade to the AI model powering Bing Image Creator, its advanced image editing tool integrated with the Bing search engine. The company introduced the latest version of OpenAI’s DALL-E 3 model, referred to as PR16, boasting faster image generation times and improved quality. However, the launch didn’t go as planned, leaving many users dissatisfied.

User Outcry and Rapid Response

The anticipated enhancements led to a wave of complaints surfacing on platforms like X and Reddit almost immediately. Frustrated users expressed their discontent, with one Redditor lamenting, “The DALL-E we used to love is gone forever.” Another user noted, “I’m using ChatGPT now because Bing has become useless for me.”

The backlash prompted Microsoft to announce that it would revert to the previous model, DALL-E 3 PR13, until it could rectify the reported issues. Jordi Ribas, head of search at Microsoft, acknowledged the problems, stating, “We’ve been able to reproduce some of the issues reported and plan to revert to [DALL-E 3] PR13 until we can fix them.” He added that the deployment of the previous model would take another 2-3 weeks to be fully restored.

What Went Wrong?

Identifying the specific shortcomings of the new model proved to be challenging, as user experiences varied widely. Many creators indicated that PR16 produced less realistic images with a lack of detail and an oddly cartoonish quality. Mayank Parmar from Windows Latest highlighted that the images generated by PR16 appeared “lifeless” compared to their predecessors.

Social media echoed the sentiment, with users remarking on the decline in image quality. One critical user noted, “DALL-E is objectively worse than it ever was after this ‘update.’” Such stark contrasts in perception led to questions regarding the benchmarks Microsoft claimed demonstrated PR16’s superiority over its predecessor.

Lessons Learned

This incident isn’t unique in the AI landscape; tech giants often face unexpected public responses after rolling out new features. Earlier this year, Google was compelled to pause its AI chatbot Gemini’s capability to produce images of people after encountering similar complaints about historical inaccuracies.

Microsoft’s scenario highlights the inherent challenges of evaluating model improvements outside of controlled environments. While the company’s internal assessments indicated a slight improvement with PR16, real-world user experiences proved to tell a different story.

Conclusion

As Microsoft works to address the complaints surrounding Bing Image Creator, it underscores the need for tech companies to pay close attention to user feedback. This incident serves as a reminder of the complex balance between innovation and user satisfaction in AI developments. As we await the return of the previous DALL-E model, it remains to be seen how effectively Microsoft can enhance its offerings.

The AI Buzz Hub team is excited to see where these breakthroughs take us. Want to stay in the loop on all things AI? Subscribe to our newsletter or share this article with your fellow enthusiasts.