Microsoft launched an app it said “uses artificial intelligence” to help users take better pictures on the Apple iPhone.

Dubbed Microsoft Pix, the app captures a burst of 10 pictures, and then uses AI to present the user with three of the “best, unique shots”. It also improves the selected images by removing noise, brightening faces and adjusting colour and tone, using data from the full burst of images.

If faces are detected, the entire process is optimised around them. One of the algorithms running in the background of the app is trained to detect whether eyes are open or closed, for example.

“We think that people are the most important subjects in the photographs you take,” said John Weisberg, principal program manager in the computational photography group within Microsoft’s research organisation.

Microsoft said the enhanced images are “ready in about a second”, and the app even captures frames before the user presses the shutter, to help capture the moment.

The computing giant added that the interface of the app is “intentionally simple”, with no modes or settings to select, and helps “users take better photos with a minimalist set of tools”.