Adobe is actually all set to bring fire into Firefly, as the company is truly opening up a whole new class of AI models and not just its own. Firefly, Adobe’s creative AI engine, is being pumped up seriously by OpenAI and Google. Adobe is further revitalizing the creative capabilities of Firefly AI platform through the integration of third-party image-generation models from OpenAI and Google, thus indicating a new phase in generative AI. With this announcement made on Thursday, Adobe has confirmed that Firefly shall also be on mobile devices, hence providing flexibility and access on the go.
The revised models supported in Firefly would include an array of leading image-generation models, such as OpenAI’s tools, Google’s Imagen 3 and Veo 2, and Stability AI’s Flux 1.1 Pro. Adobe will also be upgrading Firefly with its own proprietary model developed by the company itself. In the future, Adobe plans to incorporate even more models from Pika, Ideogram, fal.ai, Luma, and Runway.
A Fortunate Shift towards Open AI Ecosystems
Generative AI for Adobe has always meant the Firefly being the safe one for commercial use, where any content created by their model can be safely used in professional situations. Yet, as user demand for more creative and experimental possibilities has risen, Adobe has expanded the scope of its model offerings.
Ely Greenfield, Adobe’s Chief Technology Officer for digital media said,
“We still have lots and lots of customers for whom taking stuff to production, they will only use Firefly because the commercial safety really matters to them. But for other parts of the workflow, like ideation, they’re interested in experimenting with other models as well. So we’re making that choice available to them.”
Adobe’s approach is to focus on two kinds of audience, professionals needing commercially safe assets and creators wanting to explore different generative styles.
Seamless Integration
Apart from expanding its model lineup, Adobe has also enhanced the interaction of third-party AI tools with the user. Firefly allows users to generate content, using any of its supported models and with only a few taps or clicks, have it move into applications like Photoshop, Premiere, and others.
In this model, the same economic principle applies, the creators will continue to use the same credit system for Firefly even when using external AI models. Details regarding the distribution of revenue from these transactions with respective model partners have yet to be disclosed by Adobe.
Market Response and Strategic Stance
Adobe stock jumped 1.88% at midday after the announcement, indicating investor optimism regarding the company’s AI expansion strategy. Adobe aims to become a central hub for generative creativity by balancing the security of its proprietary models with the flexibility provided by some third-party tools.
As rivalry in AI engines thickens, Firefly’s intimacy with industry leaders, such as OpenAI and Google, would only serve to make Adobe more attractive to professionals or emerging creators, looking for a responsive and powerful content generation tool. Letting creators choose their tools for the appropriate stage of the workflow without compromising its reputation for commercial safety, Adobe is playing smart by being cautious while empowering users.
