Adobe is giving Photoshop users a more direct path into its AI editing tools. The company is rolling out an AI-heavy update that introduces a new optional interface called the AI Assisted Editor, launching in beta.
The change is not only about adding more AI features. It is also about making those features easier to find, understand, and apply inside Photoshop without moving through the full traditional workspace.
A dedicated AI Assisted Editor view
The biggest interface change is the new AI Assisted Editor view. Adobe describes it as an optional Photoshop interface dedicated to AI tools, with the main features collected in a single toolbar.
That toolbar includes Photoshop’s prompt-based image editor, background remover, AI image extender, and more. For users who already rely on Photoshop’s AI features, the update turns those tools into a more focused workspace rather than scattering them through different parts of the app.
The word optional matters. The source describes this as a separate view rather than a replacement for the full Photoshop interface. That gives Adobe a way to surface AI editing for users who want a simpler workflow while leaving the familiar editing environment intact.
Markup gives AI edits a visual instruction layer
Adobe is also adding new ways to refine edits with AI. One of the clearest examples is a markup feature that lets users draw directly on an image to show Photoshop’s AI assistant what they want changed.
Instead of relying only on a text prompt, a user can mark the image itself. According to Adobe, the feature can be used to “select areas to recolor, sketch arrows to indicate position, or brush in rough shapes to suggest new elements.”
That gives Photoshop’s AI tools a more visual form of direction. A prompt can explain what should happen, while markup can show where the edit belongs or what shape the change should take.
For image editing, that distinction is important. Many changes are spatial: a color adjustment belongs in one area, a new element should appear in a specific place, or a rough shape communicates an idea faster than written instructions. The markup feature is meant to bring that kind of guidance into the AI workflow.
Natural language mask edits get broader context
Adobe is also updating its Instruct Edit with Masks feature. The feature lets users edit a mask with natural language prompts, and the new update is tied to Adobe’s Firefly Image 5 model.
Adobe says Firefly Image 5 now understands the entire context of an image. Because of that, users no longer have to manually mark every area they want to edit.
The source gives two examples of the kind of change this can support: opening closed eyes or placing a hat on someone’s head. In both cases, the user can describe the desired edit rather than manually identifying every relevant part of the image.
This points to a broader direction for Photoshop’s AI tools. The software is being shaped around instructions that combine language, image context, and direct visual markup, instead of asking users to define every step by hand.
What this means for Photoshop users
The update brings several AI editing paths closer together. The AI Assisted Editor offers a simplified place to access AI features, markup gives users a way to point and sketch, and Instruct Edit with Masks becomes less dependent on manual area selection.
For creators, the practical change is that Photoshop’s AI tools are becoming more conversational and more visual at the same time. Users can type what they want, draw where they want it, and rely on the model’s image context for some edits.
The beta rollout also shows that Adobe is still testing how these tools should fit into Photoshop. Rather than presenting AI as a single feature, the update makes it a larger editing layer across prompts, masks, image extension, background removal, and direct markup.
The result is a Photoshop update focused on reducing friction around AI-assisted editing. The core promise is simple: fewer manual steps for some changes, more ways to communicate intent, and a dedicated workspace for users who want Photoshop’s AI tools grouped together.