AI-powered Photoshop: Adobe Firefly Redefines Image Editing and Creation

 

In a move that has raised concerns about job losses and the proliferation of fake images, software giant Adobe has announced its plans to integrate generative AI into its popular Photoshop program. However, the company has emphasized that this integration, specifically with the generative AI product called Adobe Firefly, will serve as a "co-pilot" to graphic design rather than a complete replacement for human designers.

Adobe Firefly, which was launched as a beta version six weeks ago, will enable users to utilize the "generative fill" feature in Photoshop. This feature allows users to add, expand, or remove unwanted elements from images by simply providing a text prompt, similar to the methods employed by Dall-E and Midjourney. For instance, users can input prompts like "long haired dachshund with long flowing rainbow hair."

Starting from today, the generative fill feature will be available in the desktop beta version, with a broader release planned for later in 2023.

While Adobe has been incorporating AI into its tools for over a decade, such as the background replacement tool in Photoshop, the integration of Firefly will significantly expand the capabilities of the software. It will enable users to create images and templates from scratch more easily and facilitate faster photo edits.

Concerns have been raised by artists regarding the use of AI trained on copyrighted artworks. To address this, Adobe has trained the Firefly AI on 100 million images from its stock library and public domain images with expired copyrights, effectively avoiding potential copyright infringement issues.

Chandra Sinnathamby, the director of digital media and strategy for Adobe Asia-Pacific, stated that the aim of the tool is to assist small businesses in their graphic design endeavors. He emphasized that Firefly is intended to speed up the design process as a co-pilot, rather than completely replacing graphic designers.

Sinnathamby explained, "The whole idea is: how do we help that creative accelerate, and that content creation at scale, with precision and speed? Most campaigns you have to collaborate with various different things. So how do we accelerate that collaboration process?"

As the prevalence of AI-generated fake images continues to cause confusion online, Adobe has made efforts to establish a standard. The company introduced content credentials as markers on images that have been created or edited using AI. Since 2019, Adobe has made this technology widely available and has formed a content authenticity initiative with 1,000 members.

Sinnathamby added, "It [is] one of the things that follows this asset no matter where [it goes], and therefore it’s always transparent where the asset, the digital asset came from."

Furthermore, artists who have contributed their work to the AI library of stock photos are identified using tracking technology. They are duly compensated when their work is utilized.

By integrating generative AI into Photoshop, Adobe aims to enhance the efficiency of graphic design processes. While concerns about job losses and the potential for image manipulation persist, the company emphasizes that the AI technology is intended to assist designers rather than replace them entirely. Additionally, Adobe has implemented measures to address copyright concerns and establish transparency in the use of AI-edited images.