Adobe Max 2026: Photoshop, Premiere Get New AI Features, ChatGPT Integration Planned for 2027

Highlights

• New AI-powered tools were announced for Creative Cloud
• Premiere introduces Generative Remove to fix video clips
• MCP support for third-party AI agents is planned for 2027

The Adobe Max conference was held on Tuesday, where the company announced a fresh set of AI-powered tools and workflow improvements for its Creative Cloud suite. As per the US-based software company, there are new capabilities in Photoshop, Premiere, Lightroom, Illustrator, InDesign, and Firefly. These are said to be aimed at making image and video editing less time-consuming, automating repetitive creative tasks, and improving collaboration across applications. Adobe has also outlined plans to let users connect its creative applications with third-party AI assistants.

Adobe Max: Photoshop Updates

In a blog post, Adobe said that it is introducing a new Relight tool in Photoshop that lets users add, reposition, and resize light sources within an image. The feature works non-destructively, which means creators can adjust the lighting without permanently altering the original composition. Another new feature, dubbed Generative Restyle, lets users generate different visual styles for an image using text prompts and refine the results through adjustable sliders.

A new Quick Compare slider has also been introduced by the company. As the name suggests, it makes it easier to view before-and-after edits.

Several additional tools are arriving in the Photoshop beta app as well. These include Mockups, which lets users place designs onto objects and surfaces with realistic results, and Camera Angles, which allows them to explore different viewpoints of an image through on-canvas controls.

The third beta feature is Generative Recompose, which can reposition an image and its elements to fit a different aspect ratio while preserving the overall composition. Convert to Text Layers, meanwhile, extracts text from a flattened image and turns it into an editable text layer. Photoshop is also getting a Timelapse feature to capture and share the creative process.

Among the last additions to Photoshop is Remove Ambient Effect Only. As per the company, it can remove distracting atmospheric effects such as lens flare, haze, shadows, and reflections without removing objects from the image.

Following its acquisition of Topaz Labs, Adobe is also introducing two AI image enhancement models. Adobe said that Wonder 4 combines upscaling, denoising, deblurring and sharpening in a single operation, while Image HDR is claimed to convert standard images into HDR versions with improved brightness and detail.

Adobe Max: Premiere and Lightroom Updates

Adobe Premiere is receiving several AI-assisted audio tools, including Enhance Audio, Separate Crosstalk and Separate Sound Source. The video editing application is also getting a Generative Remove tool in beta. It can remove unwanted elements such as boom microphones, logos and background distractions directly from a video timeline.

The company is introducing Colour Mode in Premiere as well, with support for both quick corrections and more advanced adjustments.

Another major addition is the Generative Media Tool, which brings Generate Video, Generate Sound Effects, Generate Soundscape and Generate Music directly into the Premiere timeline. Users can generate missing B-roll footage, background music and sound effects using the context of their existing edit, and continue refining the results within the application. The tool supports Adobe Firefly models as well as partner models from Google, Kling, Runway and Luma.

Premiere Mobile for iPhone is also getting access to a large library of licensed music tracks through Adobe's partnerships with Universal Music Group (UMG) and Warner Music Group (WMG), but for non-commercial use. The mobile application is also set to receive two agentic AI tools. Quick Cuts will generate an initial video edit based on a user's prompt and selected media, while an AI Assistant will help users locate editing tools and perform tasks using natural language instructions.

In Lightroom, the new Glow feature can add a soft, cinematic lighting effect to images, while Blemish Removal is designed for quick skin retouching. Open Eyes, currently in beta, is another new feature. Adobe is also expanding Camera Tethering on desktop and iPad, with support for additional cameras and advanced shooting controls.

Adobe Max: Illustrator and InDesign Updates

Adobe also announced new brushes, gradients, patterns and graphic styles for Adobe Illustrator. The application is also receiving new Blend controls, which are claimed to provide a persistent control panel and live previews to help users develop and refine designs.

InDesign users, meanwhile, will be able to access a new Co-editing feature in beta to make collaborative work easier. There is a new Flex Layout tool, which is claimed to be capable of dynamically adjusting content according to canvas size and artwork. Lastly, the company is also adding Check Document and Rewrite features to help identify common editorial and accessibility issues while users are working on a document.

Adobe Max: Firefly Updates

Adobe Firefly is one of the last apps to receive major changes. To begin with, there are new tools designed to help users organise raw media, edit content and create complete projects. The new Firefly Video feature can organise scenes, assemble clips, add captions, and generate transitions and B-roll footage. Firefly Design, meanwhile, brings illustration, image editing, animation and 3D tools together on a single canvas.

The company is also introducing Quick Actions for common editing tasks and Firefly Graph for creating reusable workflows. Firefly Builder, currently in private beta, can help users prototype websites and applications using natural language prompts, as per the company.

Firefly's AI Assistant is receiving two additional capabilities as well. Plan Mode lets users review and approve the actions proposed by an AI agent before they are carried out, while Model Selector allows them to choose which AI model they want to use. Further, Adobe is previewing Always-on agents, which can handle recurring tasks in the background.

Adobe Max: Other Updates

Adobe also announced the expansion of the Creative Agent experience across more Creative Cloud applications. AI Assistants are now available in beta in Illustrator, Premiere, InDesign, After Effects and Frame.io, alongside the Photoshop beta app. As per the company, these assistants can perform complex, multi-step tasks based on natural language prompts.

A more significant addition is the planned support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP). According to Adobe, users will soon be able to connect creative applications with third-party AI assistants and agents. The integration will support Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere and After Effects, with a private beta expected to begin in early 2027.

Adobe claims the MCP integration will run locally on the user's computer. This means the AI agents will be able to work directly with native project files. Layers, vectors, bins and sequences will remain editable rather than being flattened into a single output. The company says the private beta programme will begin in early 2027.