Key Takeaways:
- Adobe is developing "private, IP-safe" Firefly Foundry gen AI "omni-models" for studios, directors, and talent agencies
- Firefly Foundry models are trained on IP that clients own the rights to, ensuring "responsible AI adoption" across every stage of production
- Adobe is partnering with talent agencies, production houses, and schools to develop research, educational resources, and curriculum focused on the role of AI in creative fields
- Firefly Foundry models can generate different kinds of assets like audio-aware videos and 3D/vector graphics that can be seamlessly integrated into workflows that use other Adobe products
- Adobe’s legacy and experience in building creative tools position the company to successfully implement this new technology
Introduction to Firefly Foundry
Adobe has announced the development of Firefly Foundry, a new gen AI "omni-model" designed to "accelerate creativity without eroding ownership or creative intent." This new technology is being marketed to businesses, rather than regular consumers, and is unique to each of Adobe’s clients. Firefly Foundry models are trained on IP that clients own the rights to, ensuring that the generated assets do not infringe on any copyrights or intellectual property rights. This approach is different from other gen AI models on the market, which are often trained on large data sets scraped from the internet.
How Firefly Foundry Works
According to Adobe, Firefly Foundry models enable "responsible AI adoption across every stage of production" from pre-visualization to final stage edits. The company is banking on its legacy of creating some of the entertainment industry’s most widely-used creative tools to sell customers on the idea of adopting this new technology. Firefly Foundry models can generate different kinds of assets like audio-aware videos and 3D/vector graphics that can be seamlessly integrated into workflows that use other Adobe products like Premiere. This allows for a streamlined and efficient production process, while also ensuring that the generated assets are high-quality and tailored to the client’s specific needs.
The Development of Firefly Foundry
Adobe’s vice president of genAI new business ventures, Hannah Elaskr, explained that Firefly Foundry was borne out of the company’s previous work with large companies using Firefly’s older, less customizable models. Those models were limited in their ability to generate assets beyond static images, or to understand the fine details of clients’ IP. The limitations were rooted in the fact that Adobe’s more basic gen AI models were trained solely on inputs that Adobe had bought the rights to use. However, this was not enough to create the kinds of assets Adobe’s clients wanted going forward. Global companies like The Home Depot and Disney required more advanced models that could understand multiple products, characters, and the physics of how those characters move – both for video and for 3D.
Partnerships and Collaborations
To hype Firefly Foundry up, Adobe is already collaborating with talent agencies, including Creative Artists Agency, United Talent Agency, and William Morris Endeavor. The company is also working with renowned directors like David Ayer and Jaume Collet-Serra, as well as production houses B5 Studios, Promise Advanced Imagination, and Cantina Creative. Additionally, Adobe has partnered with Parsons School of Design and Whistling Woods Film School to "develop research, educational resources, and curriculum focused on the role of AI in creative fields." This focus on getting the next generation of creative professionals using these tools early may set Adobe up to be a long-term winner in the AI arms race.
Conclusion and Future Prospects
Firefly Foundry sounds like an approach to generative AI that megacorporations might be keen on adopting, if only to avoid any potential IP infringement that could occur with regular models. With its focus on "responsible AI adoption" and its legacy of creating widely-used creative tools, Adobe is well-positioned to successfully implement this new technology. As the company continues to develop and refine Firefly Foundry, it will be interesting to see how this technology is adopted by the entertainment industry and beyond. One thing is certain, however: Adobe’s commitment to developing AI technology that prioritizes creativity and intellectual property rights is a significant step forward in the development of gen AI.
