Photoshop Update: Comprehensive AI Feature Upgrades

Today, Adobe officially launched its annual Adobe Max conference, unveiling numerous AI-powered enhancements across the Creative Cloud suite. Photoshop's latest AI features stand out, offering automatic background removal and the enhanced Firefly generative AI model. Furthermore, Illustrator, InDesign, and Premiere Pro have introduced new functionalities designed to streamline traditional, time-consuming design processes.

Photoshop's "Remove" tool now includes a "Remove Distractions" feature. Comparable to the "Magic Eraser" feature on Google Pixel phones, this allows users to effortlessly eliminate unwanted objects from images with a simple swipe. The new "Remove Distractions" capability automatically detects common obstructions, such as people or wires, enabling single-click removal. This feature is available in both the desktop and web versions of Photoshop, with Adobe indicating that further updates are forthcoming. Additionally, Photoshop users can now select between using generative AI (specifically Adobe's Firefly image model) or non-generative AI technologies for the Remove tool, as well as an option that automatically determines the optimal technology based on the image and its context.

Photoshop's Generative Fill, Generative Expand, Generate Similar, and Generate Background tools have now been fully released and updated to the latest Firefly Image 3 model, which was introduced as a beta in April. Adobe states that this update enhances the diversity and realism of generated outputs and improves the tool's ability to interpret complex instructions. Moreover, the web version of Photoshop has introduced a new AI feature that automatically selects all objects within an image, thereby simplifying the editing process.

Illustrator has added an "Object on Path" feature, enabling users to easily attach, arrange, and move objects along any path shape, providing designers with greater flexibility in aligning their work areas. The "Mockup" tool, which displays designs on 3D models, is now widely available, and the "Image Trace" feature, which converts raster images (such as JPEG, PNG, and PSD) into scalable vectors, has been enhanced. Adobe reports that Image Trace can now produce vector outputs that are clearer, with cleaner lines, and more faithful to the original image.

The Generative Expand tool, initially introduced in Photoshop, is now fully available in InDesign, allowing users to extend images as necessary to fit any layout. Adobe's new Firefly AI video model has also been integrated into Premiere Pro's Generative Expand feature, which is currently in beta testing. Adobe expects that this video model will form the basis for other features within the Creative Cloud suite over the next year.