Adobe unveils AI assistant in Express to transform conversational design and content creation

Adobe has introduced the AI Assistant (beta) in Adobe Express, a conversational creation and editing feature that allows anyone to move from concept to polished content within minutes. The AI Assistant enables users to design beyond traditional templates simply by describing what they want, while Adobe’s contextual understanding of design elements generates smart recommendations that reflect each user’s unique personal or brand style.

Users can seamlessly switch between conversation-driven creation with the AI Assistant and hands-on editing through intuitive tools like sliders, colour selectors and layer adjustments to fine-tune their work. The assistant can edit any design element, fonts, images or backgrounds while preserving the rest of the layout.

“The new AI Assistant in Adobe Express is built to transform how you create,” said Govind Balakrishnan, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Adobe Express, Adobe. “It works with you, removing obstacles, speeding up processes and providing inspiration, so you create beyond-the-template content that represents your unique brand, business or vision. We are lowering the barriers to creativity, making creating amazing content even more accessible to everyone.”

The AI Assistant is supported by an advanced platform that integrates with leading chatbot environments, offering users the flexibility to create through conversation wherever they are. Adobe also announced the Dev MCP Server for Adobe Express Add-ons, enabling developers to build new Express features and integrations that support conversational workflows.

The AI Assistant combines Adobe’s generative AI models, conversational experiences and creative tools to simplify design creation. It allows users to generate images, edit backgrounds and replace objects without having to identify which specific tools or steps to use. Unlike traditional editors, the assistant lets users make generative changes to any part of a design—down to individual layers or across entire campaigns, without losing the elements they want to keep.

The assistant can also interpret abstract prompts. For example, when asked to “Make this more tropical,” it replaces mountains with lush foliage, brightens the palette and offers font suggestions to match the new aesthetic.

The AI Assistant in Express draws upon Adobe’s deep creative intelligence to deliver professional-grade results:

    •    Best AI for the task: It leverages a mix of first- and third-party models to handle both simple and complex requests.
    •    Industry-leading tools and assets: Express integrates Adobe’s best creative tools with millions of professional-quality assets.
    •    Creative expertise: The assistant applies principles of composition, colour harmony and design best practices learned from professionals.
    •    Content awareness: It understands what makes visual assets stand out and perform well across platforms.

Adobe is extending the AI Assistant to Express for Enterprise, allowing entire teams to create on-brand content through locked templates, batch creation and collaboration tools.

Workday previewed the enterprise version and said: “With this new functionality, non-designers will be able to create high-quality, professional visuals just by describing what they want. This will make design more accessible and less intimidating, allowing everyone to create with the quality and speed we expect from Adobe.”

Sakura Martin, Global Head of Brand and Design at dentsu, added: “We’re excited to explore the enterprise capabilities that are in development for AI Assistant in Express to make content creation as simple as a conversation. Adobe’s approach provides more confidence for employees who don’t have design experience, while helping pro designers save time on mundane tasks.”

Moria Fredrickson, Vice President Brand & DX at Lumen, said: “Lumen is a leader in Agentic AI adoption and the agent inside Adobe will be a game changer for us. It will allow us to unlock creativity in marketers that are more comfortable with text, giving them the power to develop fully finished, on-brand layouts rapidly without the need for design skills.”

The AI Assistant (beta) is available on desktop for Adobe Express Premium customers. Upon general availability, it will be accessible to all Express users through Firefly generative credits, with optional credit packs for extended use.