[Ramin Ahmadi (AhmadiRamin)]

Summary

This PR adds support for Azure OpenAI and OpenAI image generation models using the new Microsoft.Extensions.AI abstractions, enabling developers to use gpt-image-1, DALL-E 3, and other image models through Semantic Kernel's familiar registration patterns.

Motivation and Context

• gpt-image-1 is OpenAI's latest image generation model with improved quality and capabilities
• Developers need a consistent way to integrate image generation into SK-based applications
• Aligns with SK's migration to Microsoft.Extensions.AI abstractions instead of internal SK services
• Provides the familiar SK developer experience while using modern, standardized abstractions

Changes

Added Microsoft.Extensions.AI Integration

• AddAzureOpenAIImageGenerator() - Azure OpenAI image generation support
• AddOpenAIImageGenerator() - OpenAI image generation support
• Uses IImageGenerator from Microsoft.Extensions.AI instead of internal ITextToImageService
• Follows the same patterns as AddAzureOpenAIChatClient and AddAzureOpenAIEmbeddingGenerator

Multi-Modal Support

• Seamlessly integrates with existing chat completion and embedding services
• Enables complex multi-modal scenarios through SK's orchestration capabilities
• Works with SK's agent framework and plugin ecosystem

Usage Examples

Basic Setup

var builder = Kernel.CreateBuilder();

// Add image generation support for gpt-image-1
builder.AddAzureOpenAIImageGenerator(
    deploymentName: "gpt-image-1",
    endpoint: "https://your-resource.openai.azure.com/",
    apiKey: "your-api-key");

var kernel = builder.Build();
var imageGenerator = kernel.GetRequiredService<IImageGenerator>();

Multi-Modal Application

var builder = Kernel.CreateBuilder();

// Add multiple AI services
builder.AddAzureOpenAIChatCompletion("gpt-4", endpoint, apiKey);
builder.AddAzureOpenAIImageGenerator("gpt-image-1", endpoint, apiKey);
builder.AddAzureOpenAIEmbeddingGenerator("text-embedding-ada-002", endpoint, apiKey);

// SK orchestrates all services automatically
var kernel = builder.Build();

Usage Example

// Configure and build kernel with gpt-image-1 support
var builder = Kernel.CreateBuilder();

// New approach using Microsoft.Extensions.AI
builder.AddAzureOpenAIImageGenerator(
	deploymentName: "gpt-image-1",
	endpoint: "ENDPOINT",
	apiKey: "APIKEY");

var kernel = builder.Build();
var imageGenerator = kernel.GetRequiredService<IImageGenerator>();

var contents = await imageGenerator.GenerateImagesAsync(
	"A cute cat wearing a wizard hat, sitting on a pile of books, with a magical wand in its paw.",
	new Microsoft.Extensions.AI.ImageGenerationOptions
	{
		Count = 1,
		RawRepresentationFactory = generator =>
		{
			// Return OpenAI-specific options with gpt-image-1 features
			return new OpenAI.Images.ImageGenerationOptions
			{
				Quality = GeneratedImageQuality.Low,
				OutputFileFormat = GeneratedImageFileFormat.Jpeg,
				Size = GeneratedImageSize.W1024xH1024
			};
		}
	});

// Editing
string filePath = @"C:\MySemanticKernelTest\car.jpg";
byte[] imageBytes = File.ReadAllBytes(filePath);
var editedImage = await imageGenerator.EditImageAsync(new DataContent(imageBytes, "jpeg"), "Make the car's colour Red", new Microsoft.Extensions.AI.ImageGenerationOptions
{
	Count = 1,
	RawRepresentationFactory = generator =>
	{
		// Return OpenAI-specific options with gpt-image-1 features
		return new OpenAI.Images.ImageGenerationOptions
		{
			Quality = GeneratedImageQuality.Low,
			OutputFileFormat = GeneratedImageFileFormat.Jpeg,
			Size = GeneratedImageSize.W1024xH1024
		};
	}
});

Contribution Checklist

• The code builds clean without any errors or warnings
• The PR follows the SK Contribution Guidelines and the pre-submission formatting script raises no violations
• All unit tests pass, and I have added new tests where possible
• I didn't break anyone 😄

[Ramin Ahmadi (AhmadiRamin)]

Hi Evan Mattson (@moonbox3)

What's next in the merging process?

Are we waiting for microsoft/octo-semantickernel-pr-dotnet to review the code?

[Roger Barreto (rogerbarreto)]

Thanks for the contribution.

Recently we have new Text-to-Image abstractions available in Microsoft.Extensions.AI including openai implementations available for editing images as well.

Due to that we will be moving away from our experimental abstractions for Text-to-Image in favor of the new experimental M.E.AI abstractions using the IImageGenerator interface.

• https://github.com/dotnet/extensions/blob/main/src/Libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Abstractions/Image/IImageGenerator.cs

• https://github.com/dotnet/extensions/blob/77859cb87c33bcda7187871a683c5779557cb2ef/src/Libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.OpenAI/OpenAIClientExtensions.cs#L163

Suggest updating this PR to move our existing OpenAITextToImageService internal implementations using the new OpenAIImageGenerator, without our specific logic.

package: Microsoft.Extensions.AI.OpenAI

using Microsoft.Extensions.AI;

var imageGenerator = azureOpenAiClient.GetImage().AsIImageGenerator();

[Ramin Ahmadi (AhmadiRamin)]

Thanks Roger Barreto (@rogerbarreto) for your comments, I will update the PR as you suggested.

[Ramin Ahmadi (AhmadiRamin)]

Hi Roger Barreto (@rogerbarreto), I've updated the PR, please let me know if you want to update anything else.

[Ramin Ahmadi (AhmadiRamin)]

Roger Barreto (@rogerbarreto) Have you had a chance to review this?

[Copilot]

🔵 Needs a closer look

Runtime compatibility of the shared legacy image path with the experimental adapters across both providers remains unverified.

No open issues 🎉

What changed in this PR

Adds OpenAI and Azure OpenAI image generation through Microsoft.Extensions.AI, using Semantic Kernel’s existing registration patterns while adapting its legacy text-to-image services.

Changes:

• Adds IImageGenerator registrations with telemetry and logging support.
• Routes legacy image generation through the new abstraction and supports data URI results.
• Adds tests for registration, generation, editing, settings preservation, and error handling.

File	Description
dotnet/​src/​SemanticKernel.Abstractions/​AI/​TextToImage/​TextToImageServiceExtensions.cs	Returns image URLs or data URIs.
dotnet/​src/​Connectors/​Connectors.OpenAI/​Services/​OpenAITextToImageService.cs	Documents delegation and the new registration API.
dotnet/​src/​Connectors/​Connectors.OpenAI/​Extensions/​OpenAIServiceCollectionExtensions.DependencyInjection.cs	Adds OpenAI image-generator service registrations.
dotnet/​src/​Connectors/​Connectors.OpenAI/​Extensions/​OpenAIKernelBuilderExtensions.cs	Adds OpenAI kernel-builder registration overloads.
dotnet/​src/​Connectors/​Connectors.OpenAI/​Core/​ClientCore.TextToImage.cs	Adapts legacy requests and responses through IImageGenerator.
dotnet/​src/​Connectors/​Connectors.OpenAI.UnitTests/​Services/​OpenAITextToImageServiceTests.cs	Tests data URIs, settings, errors, and cancellation.
dotnet/​src/​Connectors/​Connectors.OpenAI.UnitTests/​Extensions/​ServiceCollectionExtensionsTests.cs	Tests registration, telemetry, generation, and editing.
dotnet/​src/​Connectors/​Connectors.OpenAI.UnitTests/​Extensions/​KernelBuilderExtensionsTests.cs	Tests kernel-builder image-generator registration.
dotnet/​src/​Connectors/​Connectors.AzureOpenAI/​Services/​AzureOpenAITextToImageService.cs	Documents delegation and the new registration API.
dotnet/​src/​Connectors/​Connectors.AzureOpenAI/​Extensions/​AzureOpenAIServiceCollectionExtensions.DependencyInjection.cs	Adds Azure image-generator service registrations.
dotnet/​src/​Connectors/​Connectors.AzureOpenAI/​Extensions/​AzureOpenAIKernelBuilderExtensions.cs	Adds Azure kernel-builder registration overloads.
dotnet/​src/​Connectors/​Connectors.AzureOpenAI.UnitTests/​Services/​AzureOpenAITextToImageServiceTests.cs	Tests data URIs and preservation of Azure request settings.
dotnet/​src/​Connectors/​Connectors.AzureOpenAI.UnitTests/​Extensions/​AzureOpenAIServiceCollectionExtensionsTests.cs	Tests registration, authentication, telemetry, and editing.
dotnet/​src/​Connectors/​Connectors.AzureOpenAI.UnitTests/​Extensions/​AzureOpenAIKernelBuilderExtensionsTests.cs	Tests Azure kernel-builder image-generator registration.

_{Review effort: Balanced}