Microsoft launches MAI-Image-2-Efficient, a cheaper and faster AI image model

Microsoft today launched MAI-Image-2-Efficient, a lower-cost, higher-speed variant of its flagship text-to-image model that the company says delivers production-ready quality at nearly half the price. The release, available immediately in Microsoft Foundry and MAI Playground with no waitlist, marks the fastest turnaround yet from Microsoft's in-house AI superintelligence team — and the clearest signal that Redmond is serious about building a self-sufficient AI stack that doesn't depend