Adobe employees admit worries about AI, says report

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has ushered in an era of both promise and uncertainty, particularly within the creative industries. Industry giant Adobe is at the forefront of this AI wave.

But, while they create new tools like Adobe Firefly and Generative Fill in Photoshop, an Insider report reveals that Adobe employees are concerned about the impact of AI on creative industries.

Insider paints a picture of Adobe’s own employees engaging in an “existential crisis”. As employees grapple with the potential impact of AI’s rise, Slack channels buzz with conversations tinged with worry. The AI that Adobe promotes as groundbreaking is making its own employees worry about job cuts in creative fields.

While the advancement of AI has been celebrated on the business front, bolstering shareholder confidence and propelling Adobe’s growth, these open conversations reveal worries. The spectre of “cannibalization” looms over Adobe’s core customer base and the skilled creatives who fuel its success.

If AI-powered tools can automate tasks in fields like graphic design and video editing, the ripple effect could be felt throughout Adobe’s business model. With no real working creatives left, who will use Adobe’s software?

However, Adobe’s journey in AI innovation is far from recent. With Adobe Sensei, an AI powerhouse integral to the Creative Cloud ecosystem, the company has long embraced the potential of AI-enhanced tools.

It’s complicated, and not everyone shares the same fears. Some argue that AI’s role is not to replace creatives but to enhance efficiency and streamline workflows. This counter-argument suggests that AI’s transformative power could bring about new creative opportunities similar to the digital revolution that reshaped the creative industries in the 1980s and 1990s.

While Adobe’s commitment to ethical AI, showcased by the Firefly model’s focus on licensed Adobe Stock imagery and the Content Authenticity Initiative, is commendable, the shadow of internal unrest casts a shadow over the company’s optimistic PR narrative about AI.

It’s an ‘interesting’ time to be working in the creative industry. If even industry giants such as Adobe are not entirely immune to the ethical and economic doubts presented by AI’s relentless march, the future for us is, at best, uncertain.

[Via No Film School]