AI tools like Midjourney and DALL·E can create images with a single prompt. It can even take a visual idea and fill in what the rest would look like (convincingly realistic).

Only the paranoid survive — and instead of being complacent, design giant Adobe is embracing AI. But unlike others adding AI just to stay relevant, Adobe could actually see major benefits from the tech.

Ramping up AI features and products: In March, Adobe launched the beta version of its AI-image tool Firefly — with users generating over 200M pictures since, and was released to businesses yesterday.

• But copyright issues on images used to train the AI have been a major complaint.
• Instead, Adobe is only trained on images that are licensed or do not have copyright restrictions.

Adobe is so confident that it’ll even help cover the cost of copyright infringement on content made with its tool.

AI opens up Adobe’s market size — allowing anyone to create high-quality content. And over time, Adobe’s CEO expects this to increase the use of its creative tools with more plans to integrate AI into existing products.

Always quick to innovate

Adobe adopted the subscription model early with its 2013 launch of Adobe Creative Cloud — sending its stock up 800% since. Just as cloud and subscriptions did for its business, Firefly could become another hit product while AI improves existing ones.

And Adobe is also quick to know when a threat is coming…

• Last year, Adobe announced plans to buy design startup Figma for a massive $20B.
• Except the Justice Department reportedly plans to file a lawsuit to block the deal.

With or without Figma, AI could be the tool that opens our imagination on where Adobe could go.