I was in LA for Adobe MAX last week, but within 24 hours, I was on an Aer Lingus flight home to say a final farewell to my life-long friend Mairead, who passed away suddenly. So let’s dedicate this episode to her and to our beautiful friendship that I will deeply miss. No AI partner or conversation will ever come close to the moments we had.
But I took a look back at their keynotes on YouTube and picked out 7 updates worth noting.
First, let’s hear from Adobe chair and CEO, Shantanu Narayen:
Takeaway #1:
AI Assistants Everywhere
Adobe’s Creative Cloud just got conversational: now, you can describe edits or generate content by simply chatting with the new AI Assistants in Photoshop, Express, and Firefly.
Assistants are rolling out in public or limited beta and mark a shift towards “agentic” tools that act on your instructions, not just prompts.
Takeaway #2:
Firefly Image Model 5 & Third-party Models
Firefly’s new generation includes more photo-realism, style diversity, and supports custom models, meaning your own brand assets and styles can be deeply integrated.
Photoshop’s Generative Fill now lets you choose between Adobe’s Firefly, Google Gemini, and others for the best results.
Takeaway #3:
Generative Audio and Video Tools
You can now produce digital voiceovers, generate music beds, and soundtracks for video directly within Firefly.
These features cut time for editors and marketers producing content at speed, and enable tailored audio design.
Takeaway #4:
AI Object Masking & Smart Video Editing in Premiere Pro
Premiere now includes AI-powered object masking for precise selection and editing—no more manual rotoscoping.
New AI assists in finding people and objects in frames automatically, allowing easier color grades, effects, and targeted edits.
Takeaway #5:
Assisted Culling in Lightroom
For photographers, the new AI-assisted culling identifies the best shots from huge batches—saving hours of manual sorting, with the ability to filter by focus, sharpness, and even angle.
This change is especially valuable for pros shooting events or high-volume sessions.
Takeaway #6:
Agentic Cross-App Workflows
Demonstrated at MAX, these workflows allow the assistant to “hand off” your active project or assets between apps—so Express, Photoshop, and Firefly track your design context, brand, and settings seamlessly.
Expect even deeper integrations in future updates.
Takeaway #7:
On-Brand Every Time & Enterprise Controls
Adobe’s new AI features include guardrails for brand governance—tools can now respect locked styles, color palettes, and typography.
With enterprises in focus, Adobe promises that data isn’t used for model training, and control over content provenance and licensing continues to improve.
If you’re in marketing, content, or design, Adobe’s latest AI tools are well worth testing—just start with Express and Lightroom’s assistants, and document everything as you go. Remember, some features are still in beta, but the shift from passive toolkits to active, agentic platforms is happening now. Stay tuned for more practical guides and in-depth reviews of these new AI-powered workflows.
About the Podcast Host
Joanne Sweeney is a specialist in public-sector marketing and digital communications. She’s the author of Public Sector Marketing Pro and the creator of the Professional Diploma in AI for Public Sector Marketing. With years of experience in training, consulting, and advocating for digital transformation, Joanne provides insight and guidance for government agencies navigating the digital landscape. She is also the host of the award-winning Public Sector Marketing Show podcast.
