Adobe has rolled out a beta of an optional “AI Assisted Editor” mode for Photoshop, a simplified interface that gathers the app’s AI tools into one toolbar alongside a new Markup feature that lets you draw on an image to tell the AI what to change. It is the latest step in Adobe’s Photoshop AI push, as reported by The Verge.
Photoshop AI without the toolbar
The mode appears as a toggle in Photoshop’s menu bar and can be hidden from Settings if you prefer the traditional Pro Editor. Inside, the toolbar shrinks to the AI essentials: prompt-based editing, background removal, generative expand and fill, generative upscale, a remove tool, and the new Markup.
AI Markup: draw your edit, don’t type it
Markup is for people who would rather sketch than describe. You can “select areas to recolor, sketch arrows to indicate position, or brush in rough shapes to suggest new elements” without a text prompt, per Adobe.
select areas to recolor, sketch arrows to indicate position, or brush in rough shapes to suggest new elements
Adobe
It is pitched at two audiences: newcomers who find Photoshop’s full toolbar intimidating, and experienced users sketching a rough concept. It turns “I don’t know how to do this in Photoshop” into a doodle. 9to5Mac offers examples like “add more clouds” or “change this shoe”.
Adobe also updated Instruct Edit with Masks. Its Firefly Image 5 model now understands the whole image, so you can describe a change — opening closed eyes, say, or placing a hat on someone — rather than masking every area by hand.
What it means for UAE designers and creators
For the region’s designers, agencies and freelancers who live in Photoshop, the mode is a faster way to test a concept before committing to fine-grained tools. The beta is available today inside Photoshop itself, with no separate app to install.
Adobe has been pressing AI assistants into the Middle East’s creative industry, even as it warns regional firms that ambition is outpacing execution in its regional research. The same push has already brought Claude into Adobe’s creative apps.
What is the AI Assisted Editor in Photoshop?
An optional beta mode that collects Photoshop’s AI tools — prompt-based editing, background removal, generative fill and expand — into a single simplified toolbar. It is toggled from Photoshop’s menu bar and can be hidden in Settings.
How does AI Markup work in Photoshop?
You draw directly on the image — recoloring an area, sketching an arrow to show position, or brushing in a rough shape — and the AI makes the change without a text prompt. Adobe’s examples include adding clouds or changing a shoe.
When is Photoshop’s AI Assisted Editor available?
The beta was announced on August 27, 2026 and is available today inside Photoshop. The related tools, including the Instruct Edit with Masks update, are generally available starting today.
