DALL-E: Users Criticizing AI Bing Image Creator

Microsoft is backing down on the Bing Image Creator: After severe criticism of the quality of the AI-generated images, the update is being reversed. Users complained about unrealistic representations and limited creativity in the new DALL-E 3 model.

Criticism of AI image generator: Microsoft is backing down

Microsoft has been forced to roll back a recent update to its AI image generator Bing Image Creator. The group implemented the latest DALL-E 3 model called PR16 from OpenAI in mid-December 2024. But instead of the expected improvements, there was criticism from users. Jordi Ribas, CVP and head of the Search & AI division at Microsoft, confirmed at the Platform X (via Techcrunch) that based on the feedback we are returning to the older version PR13.

We were able to reproduce some of the reported issues and plan to return to PR13 until we can resolve them. All Pro users and about 25% of requests with boosts are now on PR13. Unfortunately the deployment process is very slow. It started over a week ago and will take 2-3 more weeks to reach 100%. Jordi Ribas, CVP Search & AI at Microsoft

Unrealistic images and limited creativity

The main criticisms from users related to the significantly worsened image quality. Many complained that the images generated by DALL-E 3 PR16 appeared unrealistic and lacked important details. One user described the results as “plastic-looking and lacking subtlety.” Others criticized the model’s limited ability to mimic artistic styles and photographic techniques.

The deterioration in the depiction of people was particularly noticeable. The faces often appeared unnatural and lifeless. Problems also occurred when generating text within the images – fonts appeared blurry and illegible.

Discrepancy between expectation and reality

Microsoft advertised improvements when introducing PR16. The promise was that image generation would be twice as fast with higher quality at the same time. According to Ribas, internal benchmarks even indicated a slight increase in quality. However, the reality was different for many users. Complaints and comparison pictures documenting the deterioration accumulated on social media and forums. A Reddit user commented: “The DALL-E we loved is lost forever.”

Challenges in AI image generation

The incident highlights the complexity and challenges in developing AI image generation models. Despite advanced technology and extensive testing, unexpected problems can arise when models are deployed in the real world. It remains to be seen how Microsoft will address the problems with PR16 and what lessons the company will learn from this setback.

Returning to PR13 is initially a pragmatic solution to restore user satisfaction.