Adobe unveils new Generative AI features for Illustrator and Photoshop

Adobe is giving designers and photographers a new productivity boost with new features and generative AI updates for Illustrator and Photoshop. The biggest improvements for Illustrator come courtesy of Adobe’s latest Firefly Vector AI model, now in public beta. But Photoshop gets some new stuff too, so let’s check them out.

New Adobe Illustrator tools

Let’s start with Illustrator. Adobe’s latest Firefly Vector model powers new Illustrator features:

• Generative Shape Fill: Quickly add detailed vectors to shapes in your own unique style.
• Enhanced Text to Pattern (beta): Effortlessly create custom, scalable vector patterns for projects.
• Improved Style Reference: Generate outputs that seamlessly match existing design styles.
• Mockup: Easily create high-quality visual prototypes of art on objects.
• Dimension tool: Helps designers easily plot precise sizing to projects.
• Retype: Conveniently convert static text to live, editable text.
• Enhanced selection capabilities: Including the new Enclosed Rectangular Marquee Selection for more precise object selection.
• Enhanced Pan and Zoom: Delivers faster and smoother performance for navigating complex documents (up to 10 times faster).
• Contextual Taskbar: Speeds up workflows with a menu that presents relevant next steps.

New Adobe Photoshop tools

Photoshop also benefits. Here are the new features you’re getting with the latest update:

• Generate Image: Removes the blank page by jumpstarting ideation and creation.
• Enhance Detail in Generative Fill: Delivers greater sharpness and detail in large images.
• Selection Brush Tool: Makes selecting, compositing and applying filters intuitive.
• Adjustment Brush: This enables users to apply non-destructive adjustments to specific portions of images easily.
• Enhanced Type Tool: Delivers faster and less manual ways of creating bulleted and numbered lists.
• Improved Contextual Taskbar: Introduces popular settings for working with shapes and rotating objects.

This update marks another step in Adobe’s generative AI rollout, following the introduction of the first Firefly model last year. While Adobe emphasizes ethical training on licensed content, a recent policy update prompted concerns about using customer projects for AI training. Furthermore, some creatives fear these automated features could threaten design jobs.

These updates and capabilities are already available in the Illustrator desktop app, the Photoshop desktop app, and Photoshop on the web today. Just make sure to update your apps.