Adobe Stock Creators Displeased with Firefly, Adobe’s AI Tool for Commercial Use

The artists of Adobe Stock are up in arms over the company’s use of their images to train its new AI model, Firefly. Many creators were caught off guard, with no prior notification or opt-out option. Connecticut-based artist Eric Urquhart, who has been with Adobe Stock since 2012, said, “Back then, no one was thinking about AI. You just keep uploading your images and you get your residuals every month and life goes on — then all of a sudden, you find out that they trained their AI on your images and on everybody’s images that they don’t own. And they’re calling it ‘ethical’ AI.” Adobe Stock creators also claim that the company has not been transparent about its use of their images. Photographer Rob Dobi said, “Adobe doesn’t answer any questions.” While Adobe claims that its goal is to build generative AI in a way that enables creators to monetize their talents, many artists feel that the ethical thing to do would have been to pre-notify them about the Firefly AI training and offer them an opt-out option from the beginning. Legal experts say that Adobe Stock artists and creators likely will not have the kind of legal leg to stand on that Adobe’s enterprise users will enjoy.Are you a creative genius or just a copycat? That’s the question on everyone’s mind as Adobe’s new AI tool, Firefly, takes the art world by storm. While some artists are excited about the productivity and creativity that Firefly can unlock, others are concerned that it will lead to a flood of unoriginal, AI-generated content. Photographer Dobi, for example, has noticed that his stock photos are not selling as well since Firefly’s release. He’s even seen AI-generated images that could pass as his own work. And he’s not alone. Samed, another artist, has decided to sell his company and get out of the marketplace altogether. As for Urquhart, he’s worried about the next generation of artists who have only worked with digital tools. Will they be able to compete with AI-generated content? Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure: generative AI is an arms race, and companies are moving too quickly and being reckless. The damage that’s going to be done is going to be unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.
The photography, video, and vector contributors to Adobe Stock, Adobe’s premium image library, are feeling exasperated. Adobe recently released a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool, called Firefly, to make it easier for customers to find and purchase images. Unfortunately, the tool has caused consternation among Adobe Stock contributors, who are not pleased with the changes the AI has created.

Under Firefly’s system, Adobe Stock customers are provided with a selection of visuals to choose from before deciding to purchase a paid license from the library. This selection includes both Adobe Stock Photography and Video, as well as non-premium images available from other online sources. Customers have the option to purchase images from any source and use on their projects.

This new system has caused many contributors to worry that their work will be overshadowed by cheaper nonexclusive content from outside sources, due to Firefly’s focus on providing customers with an array of visuals. Cole Rieth, a photographer who has been with Adobe Stock since it launched in 2008, says he only sees a few of his images in Firefly’s previews.

Additionally, Adobe Stock contributors are concerned that customers may be confused about the difference between exclusive and nonexclusive content in Firefly’s previews. The lack of distinction between these sources could lead customers to buy poor quality images that do not meet their needs or worse, purchase non-exclusive images and bear legal consequences.

Adobe’s Chief Revenue Officer, Scott Belsky, has attempted to address these concerns by reassuring photographers that their images will still be seen and be profitable, yet Adobe has not modified Firefly’s system in response.

At this time, Adobe Stock creators remain displeased with Firefly due to the excessive number of outside images shown in previews, the lack of distinction between non-premium and exclusive content, and Adobe’s lack of response to their concerns. Contributors hope that Adobe will soon address their anxieties in order to ensure the creator community’s peace of mind.