MAI Models by Microsoft AI
Microsoft AIProprietary
12 models2025–2026Up to 256k ctxFrom $0.36/1M input
Details
ResearcherMicrosoft AI
LicenseProprietary
Commercial useCommercial use: conditional
Models12
Released2025–2026
Max context256k
Capabilities
Vision4 of 12 models
Multimodal7 of 12 models
Reasoning3 of 12 models
Function Calling1 of 12 models
Tool Use2 of 12 models
Links
WebsiteAbout
Microsoft AI (MAI) is Microsoft's proprietary model family for Copilot and Azure AI Foundry. The lineup now spans reasoning, coding, image generation/editing, speech synthesis, and transcription models, including MAI-Thinking-1, MAI-Code-1, MAI-Code-1-Flash, MAI-Image-2.5, MAI-Image-2.5-Flash, MAI-Voice-2, and MAI-Transcribe-1.5 alongside the earlier MAI image and speech releases.
Current Variants
Use-when guidance is based on each model's tracked capabilities, context window, release date, and replacement status.
12 in view
MAI-Thinking-1Current
Use when the workload needs reasoning, 256k context, and tool use.
2026-06reasoning256k contexttool use
MAI-Code-1-FlashCurrent
Use when the workload needs code, 256k context, and reasoning.
2026-06code256k contextreasoning
MAI-Image-2.5Current
Use when the workload needs image generation, 32k context, and multimodal inputs.
2026-06image generation32k contextmultimodal inputs
MAI-Image-2.5-FlashCurrent
Use when the workload needs image generation, 32k context, and multimodal inputs.
2026-06image generation32k contextmultimodal inputs
MAI-Transcribe-1.5Current
Use when the workload needs speech recognition, multimodal inputs, and audio.
2026-06speech recognitionmultimodal inputsaudio
MAI-Image-2eCurrent
Use when the workload needs image generation, 33k context, and multimodal inputs.
2026-04image generation33k contextmultimodal inputs
MAI-Transcribe-1Current
Use when the workload needs speech recognition, multimodal inputs, and audio.
2026-04speech recognitionmultimodal inputsaudio
MAI-Voice-1Current
Use when the workload needs text to speech, multimodal inputs, and audio.
2026-04text to speechmultimodal inputsaudio
MAI-Image-2Current
Use when the workload needs image generation and multimodal inputs.
2026-03image generationmultimodal inputs
MAI-DS-R1Current
Use when the workload needs reasoning, 164k context, and 671B parameters.
2025-04reasoning164k context671B parameters
| Model | Use when | Released | Signals | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAI-Thinking-1 | Use when the workload needs reasoning, 256k context, and tool use. | 2026-06 | reasoning256k contexttool use | Current |
| MAI-Code-1 | Use when the workload needs code. | 2026-06 | code | Current |
| MAI-Code-1-Flash | Use when the workload needs code, 256k context, and reasoning. | 2026-06 | code256k contextreasoning | Current |
| MAI-Image-2.5 | Use when the workload needs image generation, 32k context, and multimodal inputs. | 2026-06 | image generation32k contextmultimodal inputs | Current |
| MAI-Image-2.5-Flash | Use when the workload needs image generation, 32k context, and multimodal inputs. | 2026-06 | image generation32k contextmultimodal inputs | Current |
| MAI-Voice-2 | Use when the workload needs text to speech and audio. | 2026-06 | text to speechaudio | Current |
| MAI-Transcribe-1.5 | Use when the workload needs speech recognition, multimodal inputs, and audio. | 2026-06 | speech recognitionmultimodal inputsaudio | Current |
| MAI-Image-2e | Use when the workload needs image generation, 33k context, and multimodal inputs. | 2026-04 | image generation33k contextmultimodal inputs | Current |
| MAI-Transcribe-1 | Use when the workload needs speech recognition, multimodal inputs, and audio. | 2026-04 | speech recognitionmultimodal inputsaudio | Current |
| MAI-Voice-1 | Use when the workload needs text to speech, multimodal inputs, and audio. | 2026-04 | text to speechmultimodal inputsaudio | Current |
| MAI-Image-2 | Use when the workload needs image generation and multimodal inputs. | 2026-03 | image generationmultimodal inputs | Current |
| MAI-DS-R1 | Use when the workload needs reasoning, 164k context, and 671B parameters. | 2025-04 | reasoning164k context671B parameters | Current |
Release Timeline
4 release groups2026-06
7 current
MAI-Code-1
Currentcode
MAI-Code-1-Flash
Currentcode256k contextreasoning
MAI-Image-2.5
Currentimage generation32k contextmultimodal inputs
MAI-Image-2.5-Flash
Currentimage generation32k contextmultimodal inputs
MAI-Thinking-1
Currentreasoning256k contexttool use
MAI-Transcribe-1.5
Currentspeech recognitionmultimodal inputsaudio
MAI-Voice-2
Currenttext to speechaudio
2026-04
3 current
MAI-Image-2e
Currentimage generation33k contextmultimodal inputs
MAI-Transcribe-1
Currentspeech recognitionmultimodal inputsaudio
MAI-Voice-1
Currenttext to speechmultimodal inputsaudio
2026-03
1 current
MAI-Image-2
Currentimage generationmultimodal inputs
2025-04
1 current
MAI-DS-R1
Currentreasoning164k context671B parameters
Specifications(12 models)
| Model | Released | Context | Parameters | Vision | Multimodal | Reasoning | Fn Calling | Tool Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAI-Thinking-1 | 2026-06 | 256k | 1T total / 35B active | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MAI-Code-1 | 2026-06 | — | — | No | No | No | No | No |
| MAI-Code-1-Flash | 2026-06 | 256k | — | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| MAI-Image-2.5 | 2026-06 | 32k | — | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| MAI-Image-2.5-Flash | 2026-06 | 32k | — | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| MAI-Voice-2 | 2026-06 | — | — | No | No | No | No | No |
| MAI-Transcribe-1.5 | 2026-06 | — | — | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| MAI-Image-2e | 2026-04 | 33k | — | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| MAI-Transcribe-1 | 2026-04 | — | — | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| MAI-Voice-1 | 2026-04 | — | — | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| MAI-Image-2 | 2026-03 | — | — | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| MAI-DS-R1 | 2025-04 | 164k | 671B | No | No | Yes | No | No |
Available From(1 provider)
Pricing
| Model | Provider | Input / 1M | Output / 1M | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAI-Transcribe-1 | Microsoft Foundry | $0.36 | — | Serverless |
| MAI-Code-1-Flash | Microsoft Foundry | $0.75 | $4.5 | Serverless |
| MAI-Image-2 | Microsoft Foundry | $5 | $33 | Serverless |
| MAI-Voice-1 | Microsoft Foundry | $22 | — | Serverless |
Comparisons
- MAI-Thinking-1 vs Claude Opus 4.6
- MAI-Thinking-1 vs Claude Sonnet 4.6
- Claude Fable 5 vs MAI-Thinking-1
- MAI-Code-1-Flash vs Claude Haiku 4.5
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is MAI used for?
- MAI is used for reasoning, code, and image generation. The family description and listed model capabilities point to those workloads as the best fit.
- How does MAI compare to Claude 3?
- MAI by Microsoft AI is strongest where you need reasoning, while Claude 3 by Anthropic is the closest related family to check for vision and multimodal work. MAI has 12 listed variants and reaches up to 256k context, while Claude 3 reaches up to 200k context, so compare the specs and pricing tables before choosing a production model.
- Which MAI model should I use?
- For the lowest listed input price, start with MAI-Transcribe-1 through Microsoft Foundry at $0.36/1M input tokens. For the most capable/latest local choice, evaluate MAI-Thinking-1 with 256k context and reasoning, tool use, and function calling.
Models(12)
MAI-Thinking-1
2026-06256k1T total / 35B active1 provider
Reasoning
MAI-Code-1
2026-061 provider
MAI-Code-1-Flash
2026-06256k1 provider
Reasoning
MAI-Image-2.5
2026-0632k1 provider
Multimodal
MAI-Image-2.5-Flash
2026-0632k1 provider
Multimodal
MAI-Voice-2
2026-061 provider
MAI-Transcribe-1.5
2026-061 provider
Multimodal
MAI-Image-2e
2026-0433k1 provider
Multimodal
MAI-Transcribe-1
2026-041 provider
Multimodal
MAI-Voice-1
2026-041 provider
Multimodal
MAI-Image-2
2026-031 provider
Multimodal
MAI-DS-R1
2025-04164k671B
Reasoning