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New Photoshop and Illustrator Tools Are Adobe Firefly's Most Significant Updates Yet

Photoshop is finally getting an AI image generator.

Headshot of Katelyn Chedraoui
Headshot of Katelyn Chedraoui
Katelyn Chedraoui Writer I
Katelyn is a writer with CNET covering artificial intelligence, including chatbots, image and video generators. Her work explores how new AI technology is infiltrating our lives, shaping the content we consume on social media and affecting the people behind the screens. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in media and journalism. You can reach her at kchedraoui@cnet.com.
Expertise artificial intelligence, AI image generators, social media platforms
Katelyn Chedraoui
2 min read
An Adobe AI-generated image of a groundhog perched on a rock with flowers in the foreground and stormy mountains in the background.
Created by Stephen Shankland using Adobe Firefly

New AI tools give Adobe creators more design and editing firepower. Adobe is bringing its popular AI feature to Illustrator users and releasing a slew of new tools and updates, including a brand-new AI image generator in Photoshop.

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These are some of the most substantial updates to Adobe Firefly since the company first released it last year. The company's AI tools are integrated into its suite of design programs, which means you must be a Creative Cloud subscriber to use the AI design tools.

The biggest update for Photoshop is the introduction of a text-to-image generator, which can generate a whole image from a text prompt. Previously, you could only generate AI art for portions of designs with generative fill, not complete images. Generative fill is also getting updated to handle more detailed renderings. Photoshop is also getting new brush selection and adjustment tools, and updates to the contextual taskbar should make it easier for users to input prompts and edit designs. 

A new beta model for Illustrator is powering several new tools, the biggest of which is the generative shape-fill tool. With it, creators can select a shape, type in their prompt and fill the shape with AI-generated content (stylized as detailed vector graphics). It's similar to how the generative fill feature in Photoshop works. Illustrator is also getting a slew of other new and newly updated editing tools, including enhanced selection tools, a text-to-pattern feature and the ability to input style references.

Adobe's AI program came under fire earlier this year when Adobe updated its terms of service to allow the company to scan, look at and review content that passes through an Adobe app or Adobe Cloud servers. Many users were upset, particularly because Adobe programs are frequently used by professional creators and companies that often work with sensitive information. Adobe's policy now says the company's AI program will never train on customer content and that Adobe will take a "creator-friendly approach" to AI.

For more, check out our top AI image generators and our full review of Adobe Firefly.

Correction, 5 p.m.: The original version of this story misstated the way in which Adobe updated its terms of service earlier this year. That update said the company could scan, look at and review content that passes through an Adobe app or Adobe Cloud servers.