Adobe Pivots Experimental Project Indigo Camera App Toward Generative AI

Adobe is shifting the focus of its experimental mobile camera app, Project Indigo, by integrating a suite of generative AI tools designed to assist photographers at the exact moment of capture.

Originally designed to help smartphone users achieve a classic, “natural SLR-like look,” the app is pivotally embracing automation. Developed by Adobe’s Nextcam Team, the new AI Playground feature introduces tools that edit, style, and critique photos in real time.

The AI Playground is divided into four distinct sections: Object Editing, Styles, Photo Guidance, and Custom Edit.

In Object Editing, users can remove unwanted elements like cars, signs, or bystanders, while also offering background blurring to simulate a shallow depth of field. The Styles section applies artistic filters such as “pen and ink” or “ink line with color wash” to transform photos into digital paintings.

For users seeking more creative control, Custom Edit utilizes text prompts to drastically alter images, such as placing an object on a sunlit mountain ledge. Meanwhile, Photo Guidance acts as an automated photography coach, analyzing composition to offer critiques and suggestions before the shutter is pressed. Under the hood, the Nextcam Team is currently running these features using Google’s Nano Banana model, though they have indicated a willingness to transition to other AI models in the future.

This move highlights a broader trend in the tech industry, where companies are increasingly moving generative AI from desktop suites to mobile devices. Adobe, known for its Adobe Firefly models in desktop software, is facing stiff competition from smartphone manufacturers. Google’s Pixel lineup and Apple’s intelligence features both emphasize on-device photo manipulation, forcing software developers to innovate directly at the point of capture.

Currently, Adobe is testing the AI Playground with a highly restricted rollout, making it available to only a few percent of our users for a limited run of a few weeks. While the trial is free, the Nextcam Team has made it clear that a permanent free tier is unlikely, stating on their website that they cannot offer it for free forever and may transition to a paid version if the features prove popular.