Adobe’s ‘natural look’ camera app embraces generative AI

Adobe just added generative AI tools to Project Indigo, the experimental camera app it launched specifically to make iPhone photos look more natural and less processed. According to The Verge, the new AI Playground suite is rolling out to a small group of users as an opt-in experiment, and it doesn't even use Adobe's own Firefly models.

The irony is hard to miss. Indigo launched in 2024 as an answer to over-processed smartphone photography, promising an SLR-like aesthetic that pushed back against computational photography's aggressive defaults. Now it's testing the very AI generation tools that blur the line between capture and creation.

Adobe is framing this as an experiment and says users can opt out and keep using the app as before. The AI features are being tested with free, no-login access for a limited group over the next few weeks. The company says it wants to learn how people use these tools in a photography context, which suggests this is as much about market research as product development.

This move reflects a broader tension in the industry. Camera apps are caught between two audiences: purists who want less intervention and creators who want maximum creative control through AI. Adobe seems to be testing whether one app can serve both, or if the philosophical gap is too wide.

The choice to use third-party AI models instead of Firefly is notable. It suggests Adobe is prioritizing speed to market and experimentation over brand consistency. That's a pragmatic move for a side project, but it also shows how commoditized generative AI capabilities have become.

What this means for you: If you're building AI features into existing products, consider whether they align with or contradict your core value proposition. When they conflict, make the opt-in explicit and use it as a learning opportunity. Try this prompt with your AI assistant: "I'm adding [new AI feature] to a product originally built around [core principle]. What are three ways to position this so it feels like evolution rather than contradiction, and what user research questions should I ask to validate the fit?"

The real question is whether users who chose Indigo for authenticity will want AI generation at all, or if Adobe is solving for a different audience entirely. The next few weeks of testing should provide answers.