Photoshop 27.10 Brings Firefly-Powered AI Editing, Visual Markup and Smarter Image Controls
The update is designed to make advanced image editing easier without removing the traditional tools professional designers already use.
Instead of forcing users to choose between manual editing and generative AI, Adobe is giving Photoshop users more control over both workflows.
That distinction is important.
Adobe is not turning Photoshop into a simple text-to-image generator.
It is adding AI directly into the professional image-editing process.
What Is the Photoshop AI Assisted Editor?
The biggest addition is the AI Assisted Editor, currently available in beta.
Adobe describes it as an optional workspace that gives users a dedicated interface for AI-powered editing.
The editor includes a natural-language prompt bar and access to several generative tools.
Users can work with features including:
- Prompt to Edit
- Remove Background
- Generative Expand
- Remove Tool
- Generative Fill
- Generative Upscale
- AI Markup
These capabilities allow creators to describe changes instead of manually performing every editing step.
The important part is that the AI Assisted Editor remains optional.
Creators who prefer Photoshop's traditional Pro Editor can continue using that workflow.
Prompt to Edit Lets Users Describe Changes
One of the most useful additions is Prompt to Edit.
The feature allows users to describe the desired image modification using natural language.
Instead of manually navigating through multiple tools, users can tell Photoshop what they want changed.
Adobe says Prompt to Edit can transform an entire image without requiring users to make a selection first.
The resulting edit is placed into the layer stack as a generative layer, helping preserve a non-destructive workflow.
This is particularly useful for creators who understand what they want visually but do not want to spend time manually performing every technical step.
AI Markup Adds a Visual Way to Prompt Photoshop
Adobe is also introducing Markup, which could become one of the more interesting parts of the update.
Traditional AI image editing usually depends heavily on text prompts.
That can create a problem.
A user might know exactly where an object should move or which area should change, but explaining the location using words can be difficult.
Markup provides another option.
Users can draw directly on the image to communicate what they want.
They can:
- Draw arrows
- Circle areas
- Mark colors
- Sketch rough shapes
- Indicate where an object should appear
- Highlight areas that need modification
Photoshop then uses those visual instructions to guide the AI edit.
This creates a more natural interaction between the creator and the AI.
Instead of:
Write a detailed prompt → generate → correct the result
the workflow can become:
Draw what you mean → tell Photoshop what to change → generate
Photoshop Gets Smarter AI Mask Editing
Another major improvement is Instruct Edit with Masks.
Masks have always been important in professional Photoshop workflows because they allow creators to control exactly which parts of an image are changed.
Adobe is now combining that precision with natural-language instructions.
Users can describe an edit while using a mask to define the area that should be affected.
Adobe says Firefly Image 5 can understand the broader context of the image while respecting the masked area.
For example, a creator could ask Photoshop to modify a specific person or object while protecting other important elements.
This is particularly useful for professional images where unwanted changes to faces, logos or branded assets could create problems.
New Light Adjustment Layer Adds More Control
AI is not the only focus of Photoshop 27.10.
Adobe has also introduced a Light Adjustment Layer.
The new layer provides controls for:
- Exposure
- Contrast
- Highlights
- Shadows
- Whites
- Blacks
Adobe says the adjustment is non-destructive, meaning users can modify lighting without permanently changing the original image.
This brings more advanced lighting control directly into the Photoshop layer workflow.
For photographers and professional designers, this can be just as important as the generative AI features.
Firefly Image 5 Powers New AI Editing Features
Adobe is also using its newer Firefly Image 5 technology for parts of the Photoshop AI workflow.
The company says Firefly Image 5 understands the context of an image and can support more precise edits.
Adobe gives examples such as opening closed eyes or adding an object to a particular person while keeping surrounding areas protected.
The goal is not simply to generate something new.
It is to make AI editing more aware of the existing image.
That distinction matters for professional work.
Generating a completely new image gives the AI much more freedom.
Editing an existing photograph requires the AI to understand what should remain unchanged.
AI Assisted Editor Includes Multiple Creative Tools
The new AI Assisted Editor brings several existing and new capabilities together.
Remove Background
Users can remove image backgrounds and refine the resulting edges.
Generative Expand
Photoshop can extend an image beyond its original dimensions and generate content that blends with the existing composition.
Remove Tool
Unwanted objects and distractions can be removed with AI assistance.
Generative Fill
Users can add, replace or remove content through text instructions.
Generative Upscale
Images can be enlarged while attempting to preserve visual quality.
Prompt to Edit
Users can describe desired changes using natural language.
AI Markup
Users can visually indicate the areas and changes they want.
Adobe says these capabilities are available within the AI Assisted Editor beta.
Photoshop Still Supports the Traditional Workflow
Adobe is not forcing professional creators to use the new AI interface.
This is an important part of the update.
Users who prefer the familiar Pro Editor can continue working there.
Adobe says Prompt to Edit is also available directly through Photoshop's Contextual Task Bar.
This gives users the ability to use natural-language editing without switching completely into the AI Assisted Editor.
That approach could make the transition to AI easier for experienced Photoshop users.
Instead of learning an entirely new application, they can add AI capabilities to the workflow they already understand.
Why This Update Matters for Professional Creators
AI image generators have become increasingly powerful, but professional image editing requires more than generating attractive pictures.
Designers need control.
Photographers need precision.
Brands need consistency.
Marketing teams need repeatable workflows.
Editors often need to change one part of an image without affecting everything else.
That is where Photoshop's latest approach becomes interesting.
Adobe is combining generative AI with traditional editing controls.
The goal is not simply:
"Generate an image for me."
It is:
"Help me make this specific image look the way I want."
That is a much more useful concept for professional creative work.
AI Could Reduce Repetitive Photoshop Work
Many Photoshop tasks are technically simple but time-consuming.
Examples include:
- Removing unwanted objects
- Extending backgrounds
- Adjusting lighting
- Upscaling images
- Changing specific objects
- Recoloring areas
- Refining selections
- Creating multiple variations
AI can automate parts of these processes.
That gives creators more time to focus on decisions that require human judgment.
Adobe's approach is therefore less about replacing designers and more about reducing repetitive editing work.
Markup Could Make AI Editing Easier for Beginners
Prompt engineering can be difficult.
Someone might know exactly what they want but struggle to describe it with the right words.
Markup provides a simpler alternative.
A user can physically indicate the area and explain the change.
This could make AI editing more accessible to people who are not experienced prompt writers.
It also gives professional users another way to communicate precise instructions.
Visual communication can sometimes be clearer than a long text description.
Photoshop 27.10 Also Improves Creative Flexibility
The August Photoshop update includes more than AI editing.
Adobe also added improvements such as Dynamic Text, Shapes and Paths, allowing text to adapt to custom shapes and paths.
The update also integrates the Adobe Stock panel directly into Photoshop, providing access to more than 900 million Adobe Stock assets within the application.
These features are designed to reduce the amount of time creators spend moving between different tools.
That fits Adobe's larger strategy of keeping more of the creative workflow inside Creative Cloud applications.
How This Compares With AI Image Generators
The Photoshop update should not be viewed simply as another competitor to standalone AI image generators.
Its biggest advantage is the existing editing environment.
A creator can begin with:
- A photograph
- A product image
- A design
- A poster
- A marketing asset
- A layered Photoshop document
and then use AI to modify that existing work.
This makes Photoshop particularly relevant to professional workflows.
Standalone AI image generators are excellent for exploring ideas.
Photoshop is increasingly becoming a place where those AI-generated ideas can be refined, controlled and integrated into real projects.
What Creators Should Know Before Using the New AI Features
The AI Assisted Editor is currently a beta experience.
That means creators should expect the feature to continue evolving.
AI-generated edits can also produce imperfect results.
Users should review important images carefully, particularly when working with:
- Faces
- Product photography
- Brand assets
- Commercial images
- Detailed compositions
- Client work
AI should be treated as an editing assistant rather than an automatic guarantee of professional results.
Human review remains important.
How to Get Photoshop 27.10
Adobe's documentation lists the August 2026 release as Photoshop version 27.10.
The release includes the AI Assisted Editor beta, Prompt to Edit, visual Markup, AI-assisted mask editing and the Light Adjustment Layer.
Users can update Photoshop through Adobe Creative Cloud.
The availability of individual AI features can depend on the user's account, region, product version and Adobe's rollout.
Creators should therefore check their current Photoshop installation and Adobe account for the features available to them.
The Bigger AI Trend Behind Photoshop's Update
Adobe's Photoshop update reflects a larger change happening across creative software.
AI is moving from a separate generation tool into the applications people already use.
Instead of opening an AI website, generating an image and then importing it into Photoshop, creators can increasingly perform AI-assisted editing directly inside their professional workflow.
This reduces friction.
It also makes AI more useful for people who care about precision and control.
The future of creative AI may therefore be less about standalone generators and more about AI becoming an invisible layer inside professional software.
Adobe Photoshop 27.10 is a significant AI-focused update because it combines natural-language editing with the precision controls professional creators already expect from Photoshop.
The new AI Assisted Editor provides a dedicated beta environment for AI-powered editing, while Prompt to Edit lets users describe image changes with natural language.
The new AI Markup feature provides another approach by allowing users to draw directly on an image to communicate what should change.
Adobe has also improved AI-assisted masking through Firefly Image 5 and introduced the new Light Adjustment Layer for non-destructive lighting adjustments.
The biggest takeaway is that Adobe is not simply adding another image generator.
It is integrating AI deeper into Photoshop's professional editing workflow.
For photographers, designers, marketers and content creators, that could make everyday image editing faster while preserving the manual control that professional work requires.
As AI becomes more capable, the most valuable creative tools may not be those that completely replace existing workflows.
They may be the ones that make those workflows significantly faster.
Photoshop 27.10 is clearly moving in that direction.
FAQs
What is the Photoshop AI Assisted Editor?
The AI Assisted Editor is a new beta workspace in Photoshop that provides a dedicated interface for AI-powered image editing using natural-language prompts and generative tools.
What is Prompt to Edit in Photoshop?
Prompt to Edit allows users to describe desired image changes using natural language instead of manually performing every editing step. Adobe also makes the feature available from Photoshop's Contextual Task Bar.
