Adobe updates Creative Cloud with AI masking and offline generative tools

These updates solidify Adobe's strategy of embedding AI as a native workflow optimization rather than a separate generative layer. By moving the Remove Tool onto local hardware, Adobe addresses a critical professional demand for data privacy and zero-latency editing. For the streaming industry, these features reduce the labor-intensive costs of long-form post-production—specifically in rotoscoping and localization. The deeper integration of Adobe Stock and Firefly within the timeline suggests a long-term shift toward a vertically integrated production stack that prioritizes speed-to-market. Watch for the performance impact of these on-device models on top-tier workstation hardware cycles, as local AI processing becomes a prerequisite for professional NLEs.

The June 2026 Creative Cloud updates arrived alongside Adobe's 2026 Creators’ Toolkit Report, which surveyed 16,000 creators across eight countries. Per MarketScreener (June 2026), the report found that 87% of creators using creative AI believe it has accelerated their business growth, with 75% now considering AI integrated or essential to their daily infrastructure. This shift follows Adobe's Q1 2026 financial report, where it declared $6.4 billion in revenue—an 11% year-over-year increase—driven largely by a tripling of its AI-first Annualized Recurring Revenue (ARR), per Business Wire (March 2026).

Beyond software updates, Adobe is also expanding its enterprise AI partnerships to secure its position in high-end production. On June 16, 2026, the company announced a collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineering to integrate Adobe Firefly Foundry into Disney’s pre-production visualization pipeline. This allows Disney to train custom generative models on its own licensed assets to ensure IP fidelity across park and experience design. This move toward 'private' models mirrors broader industry trends toward commercially safe, proprietary AI training to avoid the legal risks associated with scraped web data, as seen in the growing competition between Adobe and generative platforms like Runway and OpenAI.