By Aguimar Neto
May 23, 2023
Adobe, the industry leader in creative software, is set to redefine the landscape of image editing with its latest innovation. Introducing Firefly AI, an advanced image generator, Adobe is equipping its flagship software, Photoshop, with an extraordinary new tool called Generative Fill. This cutting-edge feature harnesses the power of AI to enable users to extend images and manipulate objects seamlessly using simple text prompts. The implications for creative professionals and enthusiasts are immense as they gain unprecedented control and speed in bringing their visions to life.
Generative Fill, one of the first Creative Cloud applications to incorporate Adobe’s AI image generator Firefly, has been highly anticipated since its web-only beta release in March. Today, Adobe unveils the beta version of Generative Fill, giving users a taste of its capabilities before its full release in the second half of 2023.
As an integral part of Photoshop, Generative Fill operates within individual layers of an image file, making it versatile and flexible. Whether users want to expand the borders of an image or generate entirely new objects, Generative Fill presents three options for users to choose from. For outpainting, where the image’s boundaries are extended, users can even leave the prompt blank, allowing the system to work its magic. However, giving it some direction yields even more impressive results. Like Photoshop’s renowned Content-Aware Fill feature, Generative Fill offers users greater control over the final output.
During a live demonstration, the power and potential of Generative Fill became evident. Although imperfect, the tool handled backgrounds and filled in blank spaces with remarkable precision. While some generated objects like cars and puddles may have appeared less natural, the tool preserved the original image’s integrity, mimicked light sources, and even reflected existing elements in generated water. Adobe showcased the transformation of a landscape image into a stunning portrait, complete with additional embellishments like the reflection of a corgi’s paws in a puddle.
For creators familiar with AI image generation tools, these feats may not come as a huge surprise. However, integrating this technology into mainstream applications like Photoshop brings it to a broader audience, empowering users to explore their creativity like never before.
Beyond its functionality, Firefly addresses an essential concern in the creative industry—intellectual property rights. Adobe has meticulously trained the Firefly model using content for which the company has proper authorization, including Adobe Stock images, openly licensed content, and copyright-restriction-free material. This ensures that anything created using the Generative Fill feature is safe for commercial use, providing peace of mind to creatives and agencies wary of potential legal repercussions.
Generative Fill supports Content Credentials—a unique “nutrition label” system to enhance transparency and authenticity further. This system attaches attribution data to images, enabling viewers to identify whether the content was created or edited using AI. Users can easily verify the Content Credentials of an image by inspecting it via verify.contentauthenticity.org, where they’ll find a comprehensive overview of relevant information.
Ashley Still, senior vice president of Digital Media at Adobe, emphasizes the significance of integrating Firefly into creative workflows. By treating Firefly as a creative co-pilot, Adobe propels creativity, exploration, and production for all its customers. Generative Fill seamlessly combines the speed and ease of generative AI with the power and precision of Photoshop, enabling users to bring their unique visions to life at the speed of their imaginations.
While Generative Fill isn’t yet available in the full release of Photoshop, eager users can download the desktop beta app or access it as a module within the Firefly beta app to experience it’s potential firsthand.