A number of photographers and creators have voiced their concerns about Adobe’s Firefly AI, accusing the software giant of creating competition without adequately compensating them. In an interview with Venture Beat, Rob Dobi, a photographer and Adobe Stock contributor, explained that his photo sales have declined recently, attributing it to Adobe’s new generative artificial intelligence tool, Firefly.
Dobi expressed his frustration, stating, “Someone can just type in a prompt now and recreate the images based on your hard work.” He also discovered a set of AI-generated photos that resembled his own work, leading him to question the originality of his photographs.
Other photographers, such as UK-based digital artist Dean Samed, believe that Adobe is using their intellectual property (IP) to create content that directly competes with them in the marketplace. Despite the legality, Samed finds Adobe’s practices unethical and unfair, as he received no notification that his work would be used to train an AI model.
Responding to these concerns, legal expert Andres Guadamuz explained that photographers and artists have limited options due to the terms and conditions they agreed to when signing up with Adobe. Guadamuz added that people often overlook these terms and conditions, granting Adobe perpetual rights to their work across different mediums.
For Dobi and other creators, Adobe’s actions seem to contradict their supposed support for artists. Dobi stated, “Adobe, which is supposed to be looking out for creators, apparently aren’t because they’re stabbing all the creators that helped build their stock library in the back.”
Recently, data revealed that AI-generated images on Adobe Stock perform better than real photos, causing concern among photographers. Samed believes that the marketplace is overcrowded with AI content, making it increasingly difficult for photographers to operate on Adobe Stock.
Adobe’s Response
Adobe has highlighted its aim to develop generative AI that enables creators to monetize their talents. They emphasized that Firefly is still in the beta phase and that they are actively engaging with the community to ensure their project aligns with the needs of artists. An Adobe spokesperson asserted that they are committed to compensating creators.
