Adobe MAX is a conference where developers demonstrate the latest and greatest functions of the software, and, not surprisingly, artificial intelligence (AI) took a leading place in the leitmotif of the company in 2023. Adobe presented major updates for its Creative Cloud, including new tools for editing and generating images with artificial intelligence, and the new gen of Firefly was definitely in focus.
Adobe MAX 2023 took place from 10 to 12 October in Los Angeles and online. The co-host of this year's MAX Sneaks was Adam Devine who is well-known for his multifaceted talents as an actor, comedian, and singer.
Adobe Sneaks framework included 11 revolutionary AI projects with the potential to turn the way we perceive image and video creation and editing upside down. At the conference, the developers demonstrated the ability of artificial intelligence to enhance photos, transform videos, and simplify 3D design development.
Let’s analyze each category and discover the reasons why artificial intelligence has the potential to alter the way we create and edit content.
In the Photography category, the focus was on the Stardust project. It allows users to easily divide objects in photos into separate layers, making editing with artificial intelligence software easy. With the ability to move, delete, and replace objects using generative AI, Stardust promises to reimagine photo editing.
This is one of the most interesting AI-powered technologies introduced at the Adobe Max creative conference. Its main function is to delete reflections from images. Everyone who works with images knows how annoying the reflections can be. They often cast the subject in shadow making the image absolutely unusable.
Although editors’ efforts to remove reflections from pics often result in frustration when using modern existing AI photo editors, See Through makes this process simpler and more efficient.
Project Fast Fill uses Generative Fill technology to remove objects from videos while providing the ability to add or change content using "Firefly-powered text suggestions." With this innovative product, video editing and the creation of special effects routine will be a no-brainer, simplifying the lives of content developers.
At the Adobe creative conference, the developers presented Project Res Up technology that leverages algorithms to analyze the image structure and generate similar ones without the noise you have to deal with when downloading videos with a low resolution.
Thanks to this innovation, you can get the upgraded version of the same video that is much crisper than the source file. The technology makes it possible to make older content suitable for demonstration on HD displays, as well as restore every detail in cropped videos.
Project Dub Dub Dub turns video dubbing into an automated, effective, and cost-intensive procedure, which is as simple as clicking a button. It used AI-powered algorithms to translate either audio or video in one of the supported languages without changing the voice of the original speaker.
According to an Adobe software representative, this is “a breakthrough in the field of AI models of image generation". The Poseable project allows you to integrate Adobe's text-to-image generators with characters in 3D poses that can be used to influence the output.
The prototype tool also makes it possible to automatically set the poses of 3D characters by loading 2D images for reference to eliminate the need to position model parts manually.
When it comes to creating illustrations, the latter sounds incredibly useful for transforming static photos into customizable 3D content. It allows you to check how your favorite poses look from other angles and simulate realistic lighting.
Project Neo is also worth mentioning in the review, as it lets the creators add 3D shapes to 2D designs without mastering complicated 3D creation tools. Nowadays, 2D designers who work on infographics, posters, or logos often struggle to incorporate 3D elements into their projects because this process is quite troublesome and requires a high level of expertise.
With Project Neo, creators get the ability to make sophisticated 3D designs using 2D tools and methods.
This technology makes lettering customization easier by turning the tiresome process of designing glyphs, which represent each letter character, into a worry-free task. Project Glyph Ease uses AI-fueled algorithms to create the whole set of glyphs based on hand-drawn lettering style. The creators can customize their glyphs in Illustrator.
Reflecting the latest accomplishments of both technology and fashion, Project Primrose demonstrates the potential of flexible fabric to turn any dress into an artistic composition. Providing creators with multiple style opportunities, this interactive dress was crafted using such tools as Adobe Firefly, After Effects, Stock, and Illustrator.
Project Draw & Delight offers a suite of generative AI tools that help anyone on their creative journey, from transforming initial ideas, often presented as rough sketches or scribbles, into polished and sophisticated drawings, to experimenting with color palettes, style variations, and different backgrounds.
At Adobe MAX 2024 many Adobe representatives gave a speech. This list contains Shantanu Narayen, chair and chief executive officer of Adobe, David Wadhwani, President of Adobe, Scott Belsky, chief strategy officer of Adobe, Ashley Still, senior vice President and general manager of Adobe, etc.
The photography section was covered by such famous photographers as Aundre Larrow, Victor Au, Holly-Marie Cato, Larry Chen, Jeremy Cheung, etc.
Having experience in both photography and retouching fields, I believe that these sophisticated AI technologies can revolutionize both industries. They can probably change our vision of the creative workflow letting our imagination flow and make complex tasks simple.
In my opinion, a three-day Adobe creative conference unveiled the best technologies for creating multimedia products that are available today. During the event, more than 400 sessions and masterclasses were held on topics including graphic design, photography, video editing, animation, web design, UX design, AR/VR, audio production, and more.
