Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayan told CNBC’s Jim Cramer that generative artificial intelligence will augment human ingenuity, not replace it.
Adobe’s Firefly software makes extensive use of generative AI and is available to users in the company’s popular program suites such as Photoshop and Illustrator.
Narayan said the software will increase productivity and give small businesses the opportunity to develop their ideas more easily.
“This will allow more marketers and small businesses to get on board and say, ‘We have this creative idea, and we can make it even easier with our tools.’ Let’s go,” he said. “And what really matters is this facilitator, more affordability, more accessibility. And Adobe is helping us solve the problem and get more people into the space. I have always won.”
He called the generative AI’s ability to “hallucinate,” or generate new images, magical.
“I feel like I can focus on exactly what I want to output. The computer does this magic. I often ask myself when I’m playing with it: ‘How did you do that?'” said Narayan. “So it’s actually this kind of great co-pilot, or your substitute, who understands what you’re trying to accomplish before you even try and does it for you. I’m an agent.”
Narayan added that Firefly is integrated with the company’s free software Adobe Express.
The company just finished a strong quarter, reporting revenue of $4.82 billion, beating expectations of $4.77 billion. Adobe shares closed up more than 2% on Thursday.
