Exclusive: The future of Adobe and AI - the experts tell all

In the past year, Adobe has made significant advancements in artificial intelligence, particularly emphasized at the Adobe Summit 2023. The highlight was the integration of AI technologies into its content supply chain solution, aimed at enhancing the creation and delivery of personalized customer experiences.

Key among these AI advancements are Adobe Sensei GenAI and Adobe Firefly. Sensei GenAI has been integrated into Adobe's creative and marketing workflows, significantly boosting productivity by enabling rapid generation of diverse content variations. This technology aids in efficiently meeting the escalating demands for creative content.

Adobe Firefly, focusing on images and text effects, represents another major stride in AI. It's trained on a wide range of images, including Adobe Stock and public domain content, ensuring its outputs are suitable for commercial use. This AI model is designed with an emphasis on ethical considerations, aligning with principles of accountability, responsibility, and transparency.

The introduction of Adobe GenStudio further showcases Adobe's commitment to AI-driven innovation. This platform revolutionizes the enterprise content supply chain by combining generative AI with Adobe's suite of tools, enabling faster and more efficient content creation and activation.

At the Adobe Max conference, CEO Shantanu Narayen highlighted AI's central role in Adobe's strategy, underscoring its potential to transform creativity and productivity. Adobe's focus extends beyond mere technological advancement; it aims to empower digital creativity, positioning AI as a key catalyst for innovation and change.

Adobe's focus over the last year has been on harnessing AI to revolutionize digital experiences. Through tools like Sensei GenAI and Firefly, and platforms like GenStudio, Adobe has significantly advanced in AI-powered content creation and management, emphasizing efficiency, creativity, and ethical responsibility in digital experiences.

In an exclusive, TechDay has spoken to members of Adobe's leadership teams to get their thoughts on Adobe's progress with AI over the past year. Here's what they had to say: 

• "12 years ago, I started talking to customers in APAC about Adobe's data-driven marketing capabilities," reflects Desmond Ang, APAC Head of Strategic Development, with a tenure of 12 years at Adobe. "Today, our creative generative AI is fulfilling the demand for content, enabling creative teams to unlock new possibilities and empowering marketers in the face of limited creative support."
• Suzie Brady, APAC Communications Director, who has been with Adobe for 11 years, shares her enthusiasm: "I've stayed at Adobe because the company continues to innovate. The emergence of Adobe Firefly and GenAI is just the latest example of Adobe's long-standing commitment to innovation. It's a privilege to be part of this journey."
• Senior Manager Solutions Consulting Digital Media, Mike McHugh, with 10 years at Adobe, highlights a significant milestone: "The integration of Generative Imaging (Firefly) into Photoshop, Illustrator, and Adobe Express is a groundbreaking innovation. With over 3 Billion images generated in just a few months, it's evident that our customers are finding immense value in this advanced technology."
• "Gen AI is a turning point for the industry," observes Chandra Sinnathamby, APAC Digital Media B2B Strategy & GTM, with 9 years at Adobe. "Adobe's pace in announcing new capabilities is astounding. Firefly, in particular, has the potential to add tremendous business value, and this is just the beginning."
• Jamie Ragen, APAC Director of Solutions Consulting, who has spent 12 years with Adobe and 30 years in the creative industry, expresses his awe: "The current phase of Firefly and Generative AI is astonishing. It's not just about tool upgrades anymore; it's about transforming the entire landscape of creativity."
• Clare Cahill, APAC Senior Manager Event Experiences, with a remarkable 19 years at Adobe, shares her excitement: "After introducing Creative Cloud to Australia, the excitement about the future is palpable. The transformation we're witnessing is monumental, and it's thrilling to anticipate Adobe's impact in the next 19 years."
• "It is exhilarating to be part of Adobe's new revolution in generative AI," says Ramesh P B, Senior Director, Software Development, who has been with Adobe India for 25 years. "I am extremely proud to be a part of this journey."
• Sakshi Sachdev, VP, Acrobat Mobile Engineering, Document Cloud, with 23 years at Adobe, notes: "Our passion for helping build dreams has remained constant. We continue to lead technological trends to empower the creation of vivid art."
• Rahul Vishwaroop, Senior Engineering Manager, Adobe Elements, with 24 years at the company, reminisces: "Since joining Adobe India in 1999, our commitment to cutting-edge technology and quality has remained as strong as ever."
• Mohit Gupta, Director of Engineering, Adobe Express, who joined Adobe in 2001, reflects on the company's evolution: "Despite our growth, the sense of enthusiasm and a drive to learn new things has remained a constant driving force at Adobe."
• "Being with Adobe for the last 22 years, I've witnessed the entire digital transformation journey. From software boxes to subscription models, and now moving into AI and generative AI, it's been an opportunity to learn and grow with the evolving technologies," says Titu Minhas, Senior Enterprise Sales Manager of Adobe Experience Cloud, reflecting on his 22-year journey with the company.
• Shashank Sharma, Head of Digital Experience Business, Southeast Asia, with 12 years at Adobe, comments on the company's evolution: "Adobe has constantly reinvented itself over the last 40 years. In my 12 years here, I've been part of Adobe's cloud transformation journey. The most exciting part now is being at the centre of transforming lives with groundbreaking technologies that amplify human ingenuity and empower everyone to create and deliver digital experiences responsibly."

The passion displayed in these interviews reflected a clear excitement from staff all over Adobe about the future prospects for the company, and it certainly paints a positive outlook for where the company will go next.