diff --git a/.changeset/heavy-dots-applaud.md b/.changeset/heavy-dots-applaud.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..26b303ed917
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/heavy-dots-applaud.md
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+---
+"@aws-amplify/ui-react-ai": minor
+---
+
+feat(ai): add message renderer
+
+```tsx
+<AIConversation
+  messages={messages}
+  handleSendMessage={sendMessage}
+  isLoading={isLoading}
+  messageRenderer={{
+    text: ({text}) => <ReactMarkdown>{text}</ReactMarkdown>,
+  }}
+/>
+```
diff --git a/examples/next/pages/ui/components/ai/ai-conversation-renderer/amplify_outputs.js b/examples/next/pages/ui/components/ai/ai-conversation-renderer/amplify_outputs.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2f1016412fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/next/pages/ui/components/ai/ai-conversation-renderer/amplify_outputs.js
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+import amplifyOutputs from '@environments/ai/gen2/amplify_outputs';
+export default amplifyOutputs;
diff --git a/examples/next/pages/ui/components/ai/ai-conversation-renderer/index.page.tsx b/examples/next/pages/ui/components/ai/ai-conversation-renderer/index.page.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..42409609fdd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/next/pages/ui/components/ai/ai-conversation-renderer/index.page.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+import { Amplify } from 'aws-amplify';
+import { createAIHooks, AIConversation } from '@aws-amplify/ui-react-ai';
+import { generateClient } from 'aws-amplify/api';
+import '@aws-amplify/ui-react/styles.css';
+import '@aws-amplify/ui-react-ai/ai-conversation-styles.css';
+
+import outputs from './amplify_outputs';
+import type { Schema } from '@environments/ai/gen2/amplify/data/resource';
+import { Authenticator, Card, Text } from '@aws-amplify/ui-react';
+import Image from 'next/image';
+
+const client = generateClient<Schema>({ authMode: 'userPool' });
+const { useAIConversation } = createAIHooks(client);
+
+Amplify.configure(outputs);
+
+function arrayBufferToBase64(buffer: ArrayBuffer) {
+  let binary = '';
+  const bytes = new Uint8Array(buffer);
+  const len = bytes.byteLength;
+  for (let i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+    binary += String.fromCharCode(bytes[i]);
+  }
+  return window.btoa(binary);
+}
+
+function convertBufferToBase64(buffer: ArrayBuffer, format: string): string {
+  let base64string = '';
+  // Use node-based buffer if available
+  // fall back on browser if not
+  if (typeof Buffer !== 'undefined') {
+    base64string = Buffer.from(new Uint8Array(buffer)).toString('base64');
+  } else {
+    base64string = arrayBufferToBase64(buffer);
+  }
+  return `data:image/${format};base64,${base64string}`;
+}
+
+function Chat() {
+  const [
+    {
+      data: { messages },
+      isLoading,
+    },
+    sendMessage,
+  ] = useAIConversation('pirateChat');
+
+  return (
+    <Card variation="outlined" width="50%" height="300px" margin="0 auto">
+      <AIConversation
+        messages={messages}
+        handleSendMessage={sendMessage}
+        isLoading={isLoading}
+        allowAttachments
+        messageRenderer={{
+          text: ({ text }) => <Text className="testing">{text}</Text>,
+          image: ({ image }) => (
+            <Image
+              className="testing"
+              width={200}
+              height={200}
+              src={convertBufferToBase64(image.source.bytes, image.format)}
+              alt=""
+            />
+          ),
+        }}
+        suggestedPrompts={[
+          {
+            inputText: 'hello',
+            header: 'hello',
+          },
+          {
+            inputText: 'how are you?',
+            header: 'how are you?',
+          },
+        ]}
+        variant="bubble"
+      />
+    </Card>
+  );
+}
+
+export default function Example() {
+  return (
+    <Authenticator>
+      <Chat />
+    </Authenticator>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/AIConversation.tsx b/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/AIConversation.tsx
index 382d1b380b3..a17bc811c86 100644
--- a/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/AIConversation.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/AIConversation.tsx
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ function AIConversationBase({
   isLoading,
   displayText,
   allowAttachments,
+  messageRenderer,
 }: AIConversationBaseProps): JSX.Element {
   useSetUserAgent({
     componentName: 'AIConversation',
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ function AIConversationBase({
     },
     displayText,
     allowAttachments,
+    messageRenderer,
   };
 
   return (
diff --git a/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/context/MessageRenderContext.tsx b/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/context/MessageRenderContext.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7336e74f95c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/context/MessageRenderContext.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import { createContextUtilities } from '@aws-amplify/ui-react-core';
+import { MessageRenderer } from '../types';
+
+export const {
+  MessageRendererContext,
+  MessageRendererProvider,
+  useMessageRenderer,
+} = createContextUtilities<MessageRenderer>({
+  contextName: 'MessageRenderer',
+  defaultValue: undefined,
+  errorMessage:
+    '`useMessageRenderer` must be used with an AIConversation component',
+});
diff --git a/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/context/index.ts b/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/context/index.ts
index 5c56c750018..ca32e10d824 100644
--- a/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/context/index.ts
+++ b/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/context/index.ts
@@ -34,5 +34,11 @@ export {
   RESPONSE_COMPONENT_PREFIX,
 } from './ResponseComponentsContext';
 export { SendMessageContextProvider } from './SendMessageContext';
+export {
+  MessageRendererProvider,
+  MessageRendererContext,
+  useMessageRenderer,
+} from './MessageRenderContext';
+export { AttachmentProvider, AttachmentContext } from './AttachmentContext';
 
 export * from './elements';
diff --git a/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/createAIConversation.tsx b/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/createAIConversation.tsx
index 83bad22362f..e672db0ef50 100644
--- a/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/createAIConversation.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/createAIConversation.tsx
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ export function createAIConversation(input: AIConversationInput = {}): {
     controls,
     displayText,
     allowAttachments,
+    messageRenderer,
   } = input;
 
   function AIConversation(props: AIConversationProps): JSX.Element {
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ export function createAIConversation(input: AIConversationInput = {}): {
       avatars,
       handleSendMessage,
       isLoading,
+      messageRenderer,
     };
     return (
       <AIConversationProvider {...providerProps}>
diff --git a/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/types.ts b/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/types.ts
index ba987b8dce1..1a6ccac8487 100644
--- a/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/types.ts
+++ b/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/types.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,12 @@ import {
 } from './views';
 import { DisplayTextTemplate } from '@aws-amplify/ui';
 import { AIConversationDisplayText } from './displayText';
-import { ConversationMessage, SendMessage } from '../../types';
+import {
+  ConversationMessage,
+  ImageContentBlock,
+  SendMessage,
+  TextContentBlock,
+} from '../../types';
 import { ControlsContextProps } from './context/ControlsContext';
 
 export interface Controls {
@@ -32,6 +37,7 @@ export interface AIConversationInput {
   variant?: MessageVariant;
   controls?: ControlsContextProps;
   allowAttachments?: boolean;
+  messageRenderer?: MessageRenderer;
 }
 
 export interface AIConversationProps {
@@ -54,6 +60,11 @@ export interface AIConversation {
 
 export type MessageVariant = 'bubble' | 'default';
 
+export interface MessageRenderer {
+  text?: (input: { text: TextContentBlock }) => React.JSX.Element;
+  image?: (input: { image: ImageContentBlock }) => React.JSX.Element;
+}
+
 export interface Avatar {
   username?: string;
   avatar?: React.ReactNode;
diff --git a/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/utils.ts b/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/utils.ts
index d93401baa66..023cec0be22 100644
--- a/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/utils.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { ImageContent } from '../../types';
+import { ImageContentBlock } from '../../types';
 
 export function formatDate(date: Date): string {
   const dateString = date.toLocaleDateString('en-US', {
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ function arrayBufferToBase64(buffer: ArrayBuffer) {
 
 export function convertBufferToBase64(
   buffer: ArrayBuffer,
-  format: ImageContent['format']
+  format: ImageContentBlock['format']
 ): string {
   let base64string = '';
   // Use node-based buffer if available
diff --git a/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/views/Controls/MessagesControl.tsx b/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/views/Controls/MessagesControl.tsx
index deface4b773..5de1fd3f1dc 100644
--- a/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/views/Controls/MessagesControl.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/views/Controls/MessagesControl.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import React from 'react';
 import { withBaseElementProps } from '@aws-amplify/ui-react-core/elements';
 
 import {
+  MessageRendererContext,
   MessagesContext,
   MessageVariantContext,
   RoleContext,
@@ -63,17 +64,22 @@ const ContentContainer: typeof View = React.forwardRef(
 
 export const MessageControl: MessageControl = ({ message }) => {
   const responseComponents = React.useContext(ResponseComponentsContext);
+  const messageRenderer = React.useContext(MessageRendererContext);
   return (
     <ContentContainer>
       {message.content.map((content, index) => {
         if (content.text) {
-          return (
+          return messageRenderer?.text ? (
+            messageRenderer.text({ text: content.text })
+          ) : (
             <TextContent data-testid={'text-content'} key={index}>
               {content.text}
             </TextContent>
           );
         } else if (content.image) {
-          return (
+          return messageRenderer?.image ? (
+            messageRenderer?.image({ image: content.image })
+          ) : (
             <MediaContent
               data-testid={'image-content'}
               key={index}
@@ -81,7 +87,7 @@ export const MessageControl: MessageControl = ({ message }) => {
                 content.image?.source.bytes,
                 content.image?.format
               )}
-            ></MediaContent>
+            />
           );
         } else if (content.toolUse) {
           // For now tool use is limited to custom response components
@@ -164,7 +170,7 @@ const Layout: typeof View = React.forwardRef(function Layout(props, ref) {
   );
 });
 
-export const MessagesControl: MessagesControl = ({ renderMessage }) => {
+export const MessagesControl: MessagesControl = () => {
   const messages = React.useContext(MessagesContext);
   const controls = React.useContext(ControlsContext);
   const { getMessageTimestampText } = useConversationDisplayText();
@@ -226,9 +232,7 @@ export const MessagesControl: MessagesControl = ({ renderMessage }) => {
   return (
     <Layout>
       {messagesWithRenderableContent?.map((message, index) => {
-        return renderMessage ? (
-          renderMessage(message)
-        ) : (
+        return (
           <RoleContext.Provider value={message.role} key={`message-${index}`}>
             <MessageContainer
               data-testid={`message`}
@@ -269,9 +273,7 @@ MessagesControl.Message = MessageControl;
 MessagesControl.Separator = Separator;
 
 export interface MessagesControl {
-  (props: {
-    renderMessage?: (message: ConversationMessage) => React.ReactNode;
-  }): JSX.Element;
+  (): JSX.Element;
   ActionsBar: ActionsBarControl;
   Avatar: AvatarControl;
   Container: AIConversationElements['View'];
diff --git a/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/views/Controls/__tests__/MessagesControl.spec.tsx b/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/views/Controls/__tests__/MessagesControl.spec.tsx
index be5ed0206fd..a054835a569 100644
--- a/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/views/Controls/__tests__/MessagesControl.spec.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-ai/src/components/AIConversation/views/Controls/__tests__/MessagesControl.spec.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { MessagesControl, MessageControl } from '../MessagesControl';
 import { convertBufferToBase64 } from '../../../utils';
 import { ConversationMessage } from '../../../../../types';
 import { ResponseComponentsProvider } from '../../../context/ResponseComponentsContext';
+import { MessageRendererProvider } from '../../../context';
 
 const AITextMessage: ConversationMessage = {
   conversationId: 'foobar',
@@ -212,44 +213,6 @@ describe('MessagesControl', () => {
     expect(actionElements).toHaveLength(2);
   });
 
-  it('renders a MessagesControl element with a custom renderMessage function', () => {
-    const customMessage = jest.fn((message: ConversationMessage) => (
-      <div key={message.id} data-testid="custom-message">
-        {message.content.map((content, index) => {
-          if (content.text) {
-            return <p key={index}>{content.text}</p>;
-          } else if (content.image) {
-            return (
-              <img
-                key={index}
-                src={convertBufferToBase64(
-                  content.image?.source.bytes,
-                  content.image?.format
-                )}
-              ></img>
-            );
-          }
-        })}
-      </div>
-    ));
-
-    render(
-      <MessagesProvider
-        messages={[AITextMessage, userTextMessage, AIImageMessage]}
-      >
-        <MessagesControl renderMessage={customMessage} />
-      </MessagesProvider>
-    );
-
-    expect(customMessage).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
-
-    const defaultMessageElements = screen.queryAllByTestId('message');
-    expect(defaultMessageElements).toHaveLength(0);
-
-    const customMessageElements = screen.queryAllByTestId('custom-message');
-    expect(customMessageElements).toHaveLength(3);
-  });
-
   it('renders avatars and actions appropriately if the same user sends multiple messages', () => {
     const { rerender } = render(
       <AvatarsProvider avatars={avatars}>
@@ -387,4 +350,33 @@ describe('MessageControl', () => {
     const { container } = render(<MessageControl message={ToolUseMessage} />);
     expect(container.firstChild).toBeEmptyDOMElement();
   });
+
+  it('uses text message renderer if passed', () => {
+    render(
+      <MessageRendererProvider
+        text={({ text }) => <div data-testid="custom-message">{text}</div>}
+      >
+        <MessageControl message={AITextMessage} />
+      </MessageRendererProvider>
+    );
+    const message = screen.getByTestId('custom-message');
+    expect(message).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('uses image message renderer if passed', () => {
+    render(
+      <MessageRendererProvider
+        image={({ image }) => (
+          <img
+            data-testid="custom-message"
+            src={convertBufferToBase64(image.source.bytes, image.format)}
+          />
+        )}
+      >
+        <MessageControl message={AIImageMessage} />
+      </MessageRendererProvider>
+    );
+    const message = screen.getByTestId('custom-message');
+    expect(message).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/react-ai/src/types.ts b/packages/react-ai/src/types.ts
index ec7c108ece4..8a887c5020e 100644
--- a/packages/react-ai/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/react-ai/src/types.ts
@@ -11,9 +11,11 @@ export type ConversationMessage = NonNullable<
 
 export type ConversationMessageContent = ConversationMessage['content'][number];
 
-export type TextContent = NonNullable<ConversationMessageContent['text']>;
+export type TextContentBlock = NonNullable<ConversationMessageContent['text']>;
 
-export type ImageContent = NonNullable<ConversationMessageContent['image']>;
+export type ImageContentBlock = NonNullable<
+  ConversationMessageContent['image']
+>;
 
 // Note: the conversation sendMessage function is an overload
 // that accepts a string OR an object