AI in Notepad: Microsoft’s new ‘Rewrite’ tool comes with a caveat

Microsoft Notepad on Windows 11 is getting a new AI powered 'Rewrite' tool, which, as the name suggests, lets users rephrase or modify content to their liking.

Notepad's new Rewrite feature is currently limited to the Windows 11. (Image Source: Microsoft)

Microsoft Notepad, one of the oldest apps to ship with Windows is getting a new feature that will allow users to rewrite text using generative AI. However, the feature is currently limited to Windows 11 Insider builds.

In a blog post, Microsoft said that the new Rewrite feature in Windows Notepad is powered by an AI model called GPT and that apart from rephrasing text, it can also help the tone and modify the length of the content depending on user preferences.

How to use Rewrite in Notepad?

If you are on the latest Windows 11 Canary or Dev builds and want to try out the newly added feature, launch Notepad on your device, highlight the text you want to improve or change, right-click on it and choose the option named ‘Rewrite’. Alternatively, you can also use the ‘Ctrl+I’ keyboard shortcut to quickly access the functionality.

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Doing so will open a new dialogue vox with the AI suggesting a rewritten version of the highlighted text along with some adjustable parameters like ‘Longer’, ‘Tone’ and ‘Format’ placed just above the ‘Replace’ button. Microsoft says that users will have to sign in to their account to access the new feature as it is “powered by a cloud-based service that requires authentication and authorization.”

What’s the catch?

The tech giant also said that users will need AI credits to generate content with GPT. If you happen to live in the United States, Canada, Italy or Germany, Microsoft will give you 50 AI credits to start with. It is also available for Microsoft 365 Personal and Family as well as Copilot Pro subscribers in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. While Microsoft 365 Personal and Family members will get 60 AI credits per month, Copilot Pro will ‘receive extensive usage of AI features.’ Earlier this year, Microsoft added spellcheck and autocorrect to the 41-year-old plan text editor.