Adobe unveils Project Stardust: A game-changing AI-powered photo editing tool

Priya Walia

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Adobe is set to unveil its latest groundbreaking innovation at the upcoming Adobe Max event. This new tool, named Project Stardust, harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to revolutionize the world of photo editing, specifically targeting those who lack prior editing experience.

In a captivating promotional video that recently surfaced, the capabilities of Project Stardust are showcased. The “object-aware editing engine” introduces a remarkable feature whereby individual objects within regular photographs are automatically identified and selected. It’s as if they were meticulously separated using Photoshop’s lasso tool.

The video exemplifies this by highlighting a yellow suitcase and its shadow in an example image. The tool effortlessly isolates these elements, allowing for seamless manipulation.

The demonstration continues to captivate as it exhibits how objects can be effortlessly moved, deleted, or modified as if they were on separate layers. To ensure seamless continuity, the vacant space behind the manipulated objects is automatically filled to harmonize with the rest of the image.

Further enhancing usability, Project Stardust incorporates a feature reminiscent of Photoshop’s “Contextual Task Bar.” Launched earlier this year, this innovation intuitively detects the next steps required in the design process and readily provides options for quick edits.

For instance, in the demo video, selecting a crowd of blurry people in the background triggers the appearance of a “remove distractors” button on the taskbar. Upon activation, the crowd is swiftly eliminated, simplifying the creative process.

The new editing engine also employs generative AI capabilities akin to Adobe’s Firefly-powered Photoshop tools. Aya Philémon, Adobe’s product manager for digital imaging, is depicted in the video expertly utilizing this feature. She selects a part of the photograph and inputs text into a floating taskbar prompt, resulting in the selected space being filled with AI-generated flowers.

Although Project Stardust’s exact details remain shrouded in mystery, Aya Philémon assures viewers that the features teased in the video are merely the tip of the iceberg. Claiming that the new engine will “revolutionize how we interact with Adobe products,” she promises an unveiling of even more remarkable capabilities at the upcoming Adobe Max event.

Excitement and anticipation are on the rise as Adobe Max quickly approaches, scheduled to commence on October 10th. Attendees eagerly await the chance to witness firsthand this game-changing AI-powered photo editing tool that is set to redefine the industry.