Adobe released its first dedicated artificial intelligence smartphone application on Tuesday, integrating the company's own AI models with tools from partner firms including Google, OpenAI, and emerging startups in a bid to capture users sharing AI-generated content across social media platforms. The Firefly app, available on iOS and Android devices, marks Adobe's most direct challenge to standalone AI image generators while extending the company's strategy of positioning itself as the commercially safe option for enterprise users.
The mobile app packages Adobe's Firefly Image Model 4 and Firefly Image Model 4 Ultra alongside third-party models from newly added partners Ideogram, Luma AI, Pika, and Runway12. According to ZDNet, users can now access Google's latest Imagen 4 and Veo 3 models, plus Black Forest Labs' Flux.1 Kontext and Gen-4 Image by Runway1. The app provides subscribers unlimited basic image generation using Adobe's models, while premium features and partner models incur additional charges3.
Projects created on the mobile app sync with Adobe's Creative Cloud applications, allowing users to move between devices seamlessly1. The app includes popular features like Generative Fill and Generative Expand, which let users modify images through text prompts1.
The launch extends Adobe's mobile expansion that began with Photoshop's iOS release in February and Android launch in June1. According to Reuters, the move targets the growing trend of AI image sharing on social platforms, following OpenAI's success with viral AI-generated content2. Adobe reported that users have created more than 24 billion media assets with Firefly models, with AI features driving a 30% quarter-over-quarter increase in first-time subscribers3.
Pricing aligns with the web version, starting at $10 monthly2. Adobe has not disclosed compensation arrangements with partner model providers2.
Adobe continues emphasizing its training approach, using only Adobe Stock content and public domain materials where copyright has expired1. The company provides IP indemnification to enterprise customers, distinguishing itself from competitors like OpenAI that scrape internet content1.
However, previous Bloomberg reporting revealed Firefly was partly trained on AI-generated images, including some from Midjourney, potentially complicating Adobe's commercial safety claims2. "For many of our individual customers, the assurance of commercial safety and the narrative surrounding how Firefly is trained remains a crucial differentiator," said Scott Belsky, Adobe's chief technology officer for digital media1.
