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MAI-Image-1

Microsoft · MAI Image line · image

Released November 4, 2025Replaced by MAI-Image-2

MAI-Image-1 was released by Microsoft on November 4, 2025, as an image model in the MAI Image line.

  • Release 1 of 7 in the MAI Image line.
  • The first release in this line.
  • Replaced by MAI-Image-2 on March 19, 2026, 135 days later.
  • These days the line ships a new model about every 26 days.

What changed

Microsoft's first image model built entirely in-house: it debuted in LMArena's text-to-image top 10 (Oct 2025) and launched in Bing Image Creator and Copilot.

Sources: Microsoft AI · Windows Central · Engadget

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Where the MAI Image line stands

MAI-Image-2.6-Flash is the current model in this line. The card shows how long it has been since the last release against the line's usual gap and its recent ones — the rhythm, not a date.

MAI Image

Microsoft · image line

Latest: MAI-Image-2.6-Flash · Sep 4, 2026

Longer than usual50 days since the last release · usual gap 26 days

A faster version of MAI-Image-2.6 that costs about half as much per image and scores 47 Elo lower in Artificial Analysis blind image comparisons.

What changed in MAI-Image-2.6-Flash →
Days since last release
50
days
Usual gap
26
days
Recent gaps
MAI-Image-2.6-Flash · Sep 2026
17
MAI-Image-2.6 · Aug 2026
26
MAI-Image-2.5-Pro · Jul 2026
51
MAI-Image-2.5 · Jun 2026
49

Every MAI Image release

Newest first. See the full line with every card →

  1. Sep 4, 2026MAI-Image-2.6-Flash
  2. Aug 18, 2026MAI-Image-2.6
  3. Jul 23, 2026MAI-Image-2.5-Pro
  4. Jun 2, 2026MAI-Image-2.5
  5. Apr 14, 2026MAI-Image-2-Efficient
  6. Mar 19, 2026MAI-Image-2
  7. Nov 4, 2025MAI-Image-1 · this page