Adobe Unveils Firefly AI Video Editor Upgrades at MAX 2026 as Creative Agent, 36 AI Models Take On Rivals

MIAMI — Adobe has unveiled a major expansion of its Firefly artificial intelligence app, adding new video editing tools, an AI agent that can carry out multi-step creative jobs, and dozens of third-party AI models. It is the company's most aggressive push yet to keep creators inside its software as AI rivals multiply.

The announcements came Tuesday at Adobe MAX, the company's annual creative conference, held this year in Miami. Adobe now describes Firefly as an "AI creative studio" that combines its own editing tools, third-party AI models and a new Adobe Creative Agent under one roof.

New video editing tools

The headline update is an expanded Firefly Video editor designed to take creators from concept to final cut in a single workflow.

The tool helps users build a story from its narrative arc down to individual scenes and shots. Users can then assemble clips on a simplified timeline, add captions, and generate transitions and B-roll, the supplemental footage editors use to fill gaps, using what Adobe calls the latest top industry models.

Users can combine clips with other elements such as images and sound effects. Projects created in Firefly Boards, Adobe's collaborative brainstorming space, can now carry directly into the video editor.

Adobe is pitching the features as a way for small businesses and individual creators to produce polished video without large teams. A small retailer, for example, could turn raw product footage into promotional videos for social media.

An AI agent that works for you

At the center of the update is the Adobe Creative Agent, which powers a new Firefly AI Assistant now in beta. The agent can plan and carry out multi-step creative tasks from a plain-language brief.

The assistant includes a Plan Mode and a Model Selector that give users more control over how tasks are carried out. Users can brainstorm video stories and design concepts by conversing with the agent throughout the Firefly editors. New customization options let users save brand colors, formats, characters and product preferences.

Adobe also previewed "always-on" agents that handle repetitive tasks in the background. Users can monitor the agents' progress through a central dashboard and review their work before approving it. Adobe said these agents will first be available in beta in early 2027.

The company is also adding quick actions for common jobs, such as removing an image's background or generating a thumbnail for a video.

Design and image tools

Beyond video, Adobe introduced Firefly Design, a new workspace in beta that brings illustration, image editing, animation, 3D and print onto a single canvas. Adobe says it can take a brand identity, package or campaign from first idea to client review in a single file.

The company also launched Builder, a prototyping tool in private beta that lets users create interactive app and website prototypes by describing what they want. The move pushes Adobe into territory dominated by design software maker Figma. A new Graph tool creates charts that match a brand's visual identity.

For images, Firefly gains precision editing features called Edit Object, Edit Text, Relight and Retouch. They let users change one part of an image while leaving everything else untouched. In one demonstration, Adobe showed how a traveler could change the wording on a photographed ferry timetable simply by typing new text into a prompt.

More models and outside chatbots

The number of AI models available inside Firefly has grown to 36. They include models from Google, OpenAI and others such as Seedance 2.5, alongside Adobe's own Firefly models. Offering third-party models lets users choose the best tool for each task without leaving Adobe's app.

Adobe is also releasing a Model Context Protocol, or MCP, connector. It allows outside AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini to use features of Adobe's Creative Cloud apps.

Adobe also announced AI updates across Photoshop, Premiere, Illustrator and InDesign. Premiere gains a new Color Mode, while Premiere's mobile app adds licensed music and AI editing features, including a Quick Cut tool that turns longer videos into shorter clips.

The announcements come as Adobe faces growing competition from AI-native creative tools and video generators. The company is betting that combining generative AI with its decades-old professional editing software will keep both professionals and newcomers in its ecosystem.

Many of the new features are rolling out in beta or private beta, and availability varies by product.