The recent addition of third-party AI models like Nano Banana and Flux Kontext has sparked both excitement and hesitation amongst Photoshop users – some arguing that Photoshop should stay the same and not cave to the shifting industry, while others feel it needs to change drastically.

I've been using Photoshop for a hell of a long time and was previously in the "don't you dare change a thing!!" boat. But over the years, I've realized that as design evolves – so should the tools we rely on – and I'm not the only one opening up to this idea.

After presenting at countless events, I’ve heard firsthand from students and designers who are quite excited about these changes. Many see AI as another tool to help speed up the boring stuff like removing objects, batch edits, and background cleanup, so they can focus more on the creative stuff.

"But can't AI now edit photos for me?!"

Sure, a model can generate decent edits on its own – and for some, that may be enough – but many will eventually run into a ceiling and a whole lot of limitations. Photoshop is where those edits get refined, customized, and taken to the next level with layers, adjustments, and so on. That’s the difference between a quick result and a truly intentional design that tells a story.

"Now everyone can design!"

You're right – but that doesn't mean everyone can design well.

Clip art once made design accessible to just about anyone, but brands still hired creative teams to separate themselves from the slop (for lack of a better word).

AI is now following suit.

Anyone can design. But only true creatives can craft compelling stories.

It's not all about AI

And let’s not forget: while AI tools are being added, Photoshop is still improving existing workflows. Every year, new features land that make old workflows smoother and open up entirely new possibilities. It’s not an either/or situation – it’s both.

As someone who’s been using Photoshop for over 20 years, I can’t help but think how much I would have loved these tools back when I was starting out. What took hours of tedious work can now take minutes – and in my experience, that doesn’t kill creativity – it fuels it. By saving time on the repetitive and complex tasks, we get more time to explore, to experiment, and to focus on what actually matters: creating.

So, no. AI will not "kill" Photoshop, but it will make it more powerful.

Disclaimer: I’m an Adobe employee, but these thoughts are my own personal opinions