At its annual MAX conference, Adobe today provided insight into its plans for generative AI technology in Photoshop, Illustrator, and other popular design apps.
Adobe has iterated on Firefly, its AI image generation model, with the Firefly Image 2 Model. Improved Text to Image capabilities can be used on the Firefly web app, and a Generative Match option lets users generate content in user-specified styles. Photo Settings allows for photography-style image adjustments, and Prompt Guidance helps users refine their suggestions for better end results.
As for quality, Firefly Image renders better skin, hair, eyes, hands, and body structure, plus it offers better colors and improved dynamic range. The generative AI model is used for generative fill in Adobe Photoshop, allowing users to add, expand, and remove content with text prompts.
There's now a Firefly Vector Model, which Adobe says is the world's first generative AI model for creating vector graphics. Integrated into Adobe Illustrator, Firefly Vector Model can be used to create all manner of vector graphics, including logos, website designs, and product packaging.
According to Adobe, the Firefly Vector Model can create "human quality" vector and pattern outputs with a Text to Vector graphic feature. Generated graphics are organized into groups and fully editable, with options to match an artboard's existing style.
Adobe Express also has a new Firefly Design model for generating templates for social media posts and marketing assets. Firefly Design Model can generate templates in popular aspect ratios that are editable in Express.
More information about Adobe's new AI features can be found on the Adobe website.
Top Rated Comments
In the ’70s, a graphic designer mostly used pen and ink and scissors and tape, with photographic techniques to create halftone images in the more sophisticated jobs. Unless you were a really super big company, you had zero creative involvement in preparing mass printed materials that required equipment more sophisticated than a typewriter and a mimeograph machine. Instead, you hired a company to do it for you, and explained what you wanted to their graphic designer.
Then, with the advent of the Mac and the LaserWriter, you could create camera-ready artwork yourself. Get your company’s logo digitized a single time, buy a computer and printer, and your secretary could suddenly be your graphic designer. (Granted, secretaries typically had zero training in graphic design and their work was usually correspondingly amateurish … but companies didn’t care.)
Now you don’t even need to learn the mechanics of Photoshop and Illustrator. And it’s not just simple black-and-white text-heavy graphic design … it’s full-color imaginative art at least good enough for pulp fiction covers of the ’70s.
Are the results as good as a really good human illustrator and designer? Mostly not — but, just as companies in the ’80s didn’t care that their secretaries weren’t the best graphic designers in the world, they’re not going to care that they can still get marginally better quality at the expense of the time and money to hire a dedicated professional.
And, just as even the best grandmasters can’t begin to understand the best computer chess players, it won’t be all that long before the computers are unquestionably better commercial artists than humans, no matter how you slice it.
… and it’s not just graphic arts, of course. Ultimately, all professionals will find their jobs similarly at risk.
I don’t know how this all ends, but it certainly doesn’t end with humans going to the office five days a week to earn a salary.
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