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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Photoshop is getting several new AI-powered features.
- The features are designed to make editing easier and faster.
- A new agentic AI assistant is also on the way.
Adobe is continuing its drive into AI with the launch of several new AI-powered features for Photoshop — and one is potentially a huge time-saver.
At this week’s Adobe Max conference in Los Angeles, the company unveiled multiple new initiatives, including AI assistants in Express, Firefly, and Photoshop.
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But beyond a new assistant, Photoshop is getting a serious injection of AI with the addition of tools that make editing easier and faster. Here’s a look at what’s new.
A new AI assistant
Powered by agentic AI, Photoshop’s new AI assistant is designed to free up time by automating repetitive tasks, such as resizing a batch of photos or applying the same edits, while providing personalized recommendations and tips that maintain creative control.
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You can chat with Photoshop to make edits, get tips on how to make a photo look better, and even get help on what to do next and how to do it.
More options for Generative Fill
When it debuted in 2023, Generative Fill quickly became one of the most popular Photoshop features. Now, Adobe says, you can use partner AI models, such as Google Gemini 2.5 Flash and Black Forest Labs FLUX.1 Kontext, in addition to Firefly’s image models, to edit your content with a prompt.
Generative Upscale
Want to give older photos a glow-up? Using Topaz Labs’ technology, you can now upscale low-resolution images to 4K.
Harmonize
Matching the color and lighting of an object to a background layer can be a tricky task.
However, Photoshop’s AI-powered Harmonize feature automatically integrates objects or people into environments in realistic-looking ways by matching the light, color, and tone of both layers.
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ZDNET’s David Gewirtz tested this feature earlier this month, calling it “very, very good” and even “addictive.”
Object Mask
Isolating people and objects in video frames is significantly easier with Object Mask, an AI feature that assists with color grading, blurring, and adding special effects without manual rotoscoping.
Assisted Culling
Finding the best images from a large batch can be one of the most time-consuming elements of photographing an event. Assisted Culling not only identifies the best shots, but you can filter results for levels of focus, different angles, and various degrees of sharpness.
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These features are available in public beta, except for AI Assistant, which Adobe says is “rolling through a private beta waitlist on Photoshop on the web.”
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