At Adobe MAX 2025, Adobe unveiled a powerful new feature — an AI Assistant in Adobe Express (beta) — that enables users to design and edit content simply by conversing with the tool.
This move is part of Adobe’s broader push into agentic AI, where applications act more like collaborators than mere tools.
What Is the AI Assistant in Adobe Express?
Conversational Creation & Editing
With the AI Assistant, users can type (or speak) commands such as “make this more tropical” or “swap the background to a beach,” and the assistant will apply changes to fonts, images, colors, and layouts — while preserving other parts of the design.
Importantly, it interprets contextual design understanding, allowing adjustments to individual layers rather than regenerating whole layouts from scratch.
Hybrid Workflow: AI + Manual Controls
Users can fluidly switch between AI-assisted conversational edits and traditional manual tools — like sliders, color pickers, and layout controls — to refine the output exactly as they wish.
For example, after issuing a prompt, the assistant might surface related controls (“Do you want to change the font to match this style?”) to prompt deeper customization.
Availability & Access
- Initially, the AI Assistant (beta) is available to Adobe Express Premium customers on desktop.
- In time, Adobe plans to extend it to all Express users via its Firefly generative credit system.
- The Express AI Assistant also integrates with external chatbot platforms, allowing creative interactions beyond the Express interface.
- Adobe also introduced a Dev MCP Server for Express add-ons — letting developers build conversational “plugins” for Express.
Why This Launch Is Significant
Lowers Barrier for Non-Designers
One of the biggest gains is making professional-level design accessible to users without formal training. By letting people describe what they want in natural language, Adobe reduces friction in the creative process.
Preserves Design Quality & Coherence
Because the assistant is aware of design concepts like composition, harmony, and brand consistency, it can make intelligent edits rather than literal ones — e.g. when you ask for a mood change, it may adjust multiple elements cohesively.
Enterprise & Brand Control
For organizations, Adobe is planning features like template locking, batch creation, and on-brand editing rules so teams can self-serve while maintaining brand guidelines.
Potential Challenges & Considerations
- Interpretation Errors: Vague or ambiguous requests may lead to unexpected results; the assistant might need follow-up prompts.
- Balance of Control: Users may want fine control; Adobe must ensure AI doesn’t override creative intent.
- Resource / Performance Load: Running an AI assistant in real-time demands backend infrastructure and optimization.
- Adoption & Trust: Some designers might resist AI interference or fear loss of creative control.
What’s Next to Watch
- Rolling out full access for non-premium users via Firefly credits
- Expanding capabilities — more complex edits, multi-step workflows, richer conversational context
- Deepening integration with other Adobe apps (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.) so that the same AI assistant “knows” across tools
- Developer ecosystem growth via the MCP Server for Express add-ons
