Adobe announced the integration of Adobe Firefly generative AI models into Adobe Photoshop. Initially in beta, the update brings Firefly directly into Photoshop through the new Generative Fill tool. Generative Fill allows users to generate -commercial-use images by training on Adobe Stock’s image collection. In theory, this lets creators generate images without infringing on intellectual property. The tool allows for the visualization of ideas through text prompts with non-destructive editing – meaning creators can produce content in separate layers to test creative possibilities without altering the original image. The real advantage here is allowing users to explore ideas, test out various concepts, and produce content variations at a rapid rate, boosting productivity. This could be a game changer for marketing departments and creatives if the AI models advance enough to produce realistic, consistent results.

In addition to Generative Fill, Adobe’s latest Photoshop release introduces other upgrades to transform creative workflows and save time. These include new adjustment presets, contextual edits, simple removal tools, and enhanced gradients. These features are all designed to streamline the creative processes. Adobe plans to make the update generally available in the second half of 2023. I’ve been casually testing Firefly over the last couple of months (and joined the Discord community and learned some tips), and some prompt nuances drastically change the quality of the outcome. Like most AI productivity tools, Firefly has a long way to go before drastically changing how creatives generate images. However, with each iteration, Firefly – and more so with integrating Firefly into Photoshop – comes closer to the promise of enhancing productivity and unleashing creative potential. I think with a really polished model and the capabilities across Adobe’s Creative Cloud this could be transformative for creative work.