Adobe has introduced a new set of AI-powered features for its creative tools, including a conversational AI assistant in Photoshop and expanded capabilities in the Firefly image editor, its AI-powered creative studio.
The announcement, made following the Adobe MAX event on March 10, signals the company’s push to make image editing more intuitive by allowing users to modify visuals simply by describing what they want.
The newly launched AI Assistant in Photoshop, now available in public beta for web and mobile, enables creators to edit images through natural language prompts. Users can request tasks such as removing unwanted objects, changing backgrounds, adjusting lighting, or altering colours by typing or speaking instructions.
The assistant can either apply edits automatically or guide users step-by-step, making the tool accessible to beginners while still supporting professional workflows.
Adobe has also introduced AI Markup, a feature that allows users to draw directly on an image to specify where changes should occur. For instance, users can highlight a section of an image and prompt Photoshop to insert elements like mountains or flowers, with the system generating results within seconds.
Firefly’s new features include generative fill to add or modify elements, generative remove to eliminate objects, generative expand to adjust image sizes, and generative upscale to enhance resolution and detail. The editor also includes background-removal tools and supports more than 25 AI models, allowing creators to generate and edit images in a single workspace.
The company is also offering unlimited AI generations for Firefly users and Photoshop subscribers on web and mobile for a limited period, while free users receive a limited number of generations to experiment with the tools.
Adobe’s update arrives amid fierce competition in the generative AI design space. Platforms like Canva have integrated text-to-image and automated editing tools through its Magic Studio suite, targeting everyday creators and marketers. The platform also includes a tool for generating and editing images based on prompts.
Meanwhile, companies such as OpenAI with DALL·E-based image generation, Midjourney, and Runway are advancing AI-generated visuals with increasingly sophisticated editing capabilities. Design platforms like Figma have also begun embedding AI-assisted design workflows.
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