When Microsoft first launched its AI-powered Designer app last year, creative professionals rejoiced. The app, powered by advanced DALL-E 3 technology, gave users easy access to incredibly powerful graphic design and image creation tools, including the magic “brush removal” feature that could intelligently erase unwanted elements from AI-generated images.

But in recent weeks, Microsoft has quietly removed this popular AI brush removal capability from Designer without explanation, leaving many users confused and upset.

“Yes, they did. And yes, I am very disappointed,” one distressed Redditor wrote. “I, too, often used it to remove unwanted parts in the pictures generated (extra fingers, suspenders that I don’t want, texts describing characters floating on their heads, etc.).”

This sentiment was echoed by many other Reddit commenters who relied on the AI brush for cleaning up AI-generated images. Users say the tool was far superior to similar capabilities currently offered in other graphic design platforms like Canva.

So why did Microsoft nix such a beloved feature in Designer, without even alerting users? Speculation abounds, but most believe the company is preparing to make the AI brush premium-only in a paid version of Designer.

Indeed, advanced AI capabilities like Designer, DALL-E, and Copilot are extremely computationally expensive for providers to operate at scale. OpenAI has stated their ChatGPT model alone costs $700,000 per day to run. With such astronomical operating costs, Microsoft will likely aim to monetize certain advanced AI functions that are most valued by professional users.

Nonetheless, the unannounced removal of the AI brush stings for regular Designer users who had come to rely on its clever, automated editing abilities to streamline creative workflows. While alternatives like Remove Background and Blur Background still exist in Designer, users say the AI brush delivered far superior, more nuanced results.

Microsoft has not commented on the disappearance of the AI brush tool, so its motivations remain unclear. But the company’s quiet removal of such a popular, productivity-enhancing feature has left many creative professionals feeling abandoned and deceived.

For now, Designer users longing for the magical AI brush will have to make do with lesser background removal tools. But if Microsoft’s history with introducing premium features is any indication, the beloved brush may soon return – for a price.