Adobe, known for Photoshop, has joined hands with major artificial intelligence (AI) corporations such as Google and OpenAI to strengthen creation capabilities based on Generative AI. Going forward, core Adobe services such as Photoshop, Firefly, and Illustrator will let users create images with Google's image-generation AI "Nano Banana," or edit photos in Photoshop on ChatGPT. Adobe will also add a feature to produce YouTube Shorts in its Premier app.
As concerns emerged that Adobe's standing in the content creation market is wavering with the arrival of various AI tools that resolve complex editing with a single line of command, the company appears to be taking a head-on approach by building an AI creation ecosystem.
◇ From Google "Nano Banana" to OpenAI "Sora"… Use diverse AI models in Firefly
On the 28th (local time), at Adobe's annual creative event "Adobe MAX" held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles (LA), the United States, Adobe unveiled a slew of new AI features. CEO Shantanu Narayen said in his keynote, "Two out of three Photoshop beta users use Generative AI daily for work," adding, "With AI, Adobe will cut repetitive tasks in the content production process and simplify editing in tools such as Photoshop and Illustrator while maintaining pixel-level precision."
To respond to the rapidly changing content creation environment driven by AI, Adobe chose a "co-prosperity" strategy of expanding partners instead of sticking solely to its own AI models. David Wadhwani, president of Adobe's digital media institutional sector, said, "Generative AI models are advancing at an astonishing pace, but the quality, expense, and performance of the results vary depending on which model you use," noting that the company integrated major AI models into its Generative AI tool Firefly to broaden creators' choices.
Accordingly, Firefly will allow image, video, and audio generation and editing using third-party AI models such as Google Gemini, OpenAI ChatGPT, Runway, ElevenLabs, Luma AI, and Topaz Labs. Users can mix and match as they wish, such as editing images generated with Google's "Nano Banana" using Adobe's professional-grade high-resolution image generation tool "Firefly Image Model 5," then applying them to videos made with OpenAI's video-generation AI "Sora."
CEO Narayen said, "Our vision is to make Firefly a one-stop space equipped with the best AI models and AI editing tools," adding, "From ideation to image production, video generation, and audio editing, every creative step can be handled easily in one place."
Adobe also put front and center a "ChatGPT-style" conversational interface that lets users enter a prompt (command) in a chat window to generate and edit images, audio, and video. Narayen said, "We will build the next-generation creative environment where precise editing is possible through text instructions," adding, "AI that understands creators' intent will support a wide range of tasks from film production to marketing campaigns."
The company also showcased several newly released AI-based Firefly tools. Representatives include "Soundtrack generation," which creates background music for videos with a single line of command; "Voice generation," which converts text into a natural voice-over; and "Edit with prompts," which performs edits to match written descriptions of desired changes.
Presenters pointed to precision in the creative process as Adobe's differentiator. Although the performance of Generative AI is improving, image and video generation and editing still lack refinement, so Adobe's solutions, which allow pixel-level fine-tuning, remain strong, they said. Wadhwani emphasized, "Adobe allows you to specify desired edits with prompts, and it also lets creators directly manipulate adjustments by clicking, offering both the convenience of a conversational interface and control over content."
◇ Create YouTube Shorts in the Adobe Premiere app
Adobe also announced a new partnership with YouTube that day. The two companies will build a dedicated "Create for YouTube Shorts" space inside the Adobe Premiere mobile app with features tailored to YouTube Shorts. Scott Silver, YouTube's vice president of engineering who took the stage that day, said, "YouTube Shorts has 2 billion monthly viewers and generates 200 billion views per day," adding, "You can now create and share Shorts right from the Premiere mobile app."
With the explosive popularity of short-form videos driving a surge in content demand, Adobe stressed it will help creators produce high-quality content in the easiest and smoothest way.
A variety of demos using Adobe's new AI features drew the audience's attention. Each time about a dozen presenters modified images with prompts, improved audio quality, or added special effects to videos, cheers and applause erupted from the crowd. Using AI, they cleanly removed cars from photos taken in downtown San Francisco and eliminated background noise from voice-over tracks for Shorts. In one demo, a presenter generated and added a video scene where "a turtle breaks through a wall, splashing water as it soars," based on footage of a mural depicting a turtle.
Compatibility with ChatGPT also drew notice. In one demo, a presenter selected the "Adobe Express" feature within ChatGPT to revise the colors and layout of promotional materials in progress. As with typical ChatGPT usage, the presenter typed detailed changes or additions in the chat window, and numerous image results reflecting them appeared in the ChatGPT window. An Adobe official said, "Photoshop will also be available within ChatGPT going forward."