AI doesn’t destroy art but raises the bar for even better content creation, says Adobe APAC chief

Singapore – Meticulous flaws. Misaligned elements. Symmetrical facial patterns. These are the unmistakable hallmarks of AI-crafted visuals that may catch the eye in an ad or a social media post. The shortcomings of AI-generated images have sparked discontent among artists and creators, who feel these tools are lowering the standards of art rather than elevating it.

Yet Adobe, the leading creator of creative software, maintains that AI can be a powerful ally in the evolving landscape of content production without compromising the industry. According to Ben Goodman, president of Asia-Pacific and Japan (JAPAC) at Adobe, AI will only make consumers more discerning, thereby driving up the demand for high-quality content.

"AI has indeed accelerated the volume of content, but it has also created a divide," Goodman explains. "People have quickly learned that content generated by AI no longer meets their standards, and that has raised the bar." As more individuals gain the ability to produce content, expectations and benchmarks have risen. Now, people can tell the difference between work done by an expert artist using sophisticated prompts in an AI platform versus something generated carelessly.

This shift has positively impacted digital marketing campaigns. Rather than relying solely on general demographic targeting, companies can now tailor content to individual preferences, leading to more personalized interactions. "If a brand doesn't personalize to my unique profile, I feel underserved," Goodman notes. This increased personalization is one of the key advantages of AI for digital marketing.

Adobe, well-known for its creative software like Photoshop and Illustrator, has moved beyond being just a provider of design tools. The company has shifted its focus towards becoming a leading data analytics firm. Established in 2009, Adobe Analytics, originally Omniture, has been a cornerstone of its enterprise business. In 2016, Adobe started integrating AI into its software and services.

Adobe Sensei, a technology combining AI and machine learning, learned patterns from data to anticipate users' editing needs. This automation aided in tasks like object recognition, subject selection, and background removal in image editing. Sensei later expanded to Adobe's broader AI offerings, including enterprise software that empowers customers to derive insights for their marketing and advertising campaigns, helping them comprehend customer behavior and preferences better.

Adobe Firefly, launched in March 2023, can create images, videos, sound effects, and speech. Following the viral success of text-to-image models like DALL-E 2 and Midjourney, Adobe introduced this generative AI (GenAI) tool. In April 2026, Adobe unveiled CX Enterprise Coworker, an AI system for large businesses to coordinate and automate marketing tasks related to customer experience.

This system runs across Adobe applications and third-party AI platforms, analyzes customer data, identifies target audiences, creates marketing campaigns for human approval, and provides real-time insights. Goodman believes Adobe's AI-powered tools assist customers in managing the growing demand for content across various channels and help them enter new markets that were previously challenging due to language barriers.

For instance, Japanese brands have found it easier to scale internationally using GenAI for localization. Similarly, international brands can establish their presence in Japan more rapidly and launch loyalty programs, which are crucial for global expansion. Speed is crucial in today's digital marketing world. In the past, broadcasting an ad featuring a World Cup winner within minutes of the final whistle was impossible.

Today, AI enables brands to react instantly to major sporting events, producing compelling content, while planning entire campaigns that once took months can now be completed in just days or hours. In the third quarter of the 2026 financial year, Adobe's subscription revenue from creative and marketing professionals reached US$4.7 billion (S$6 billion), a 13% increase year on year.

Subscription revenue from business professionals and consumers also grew 16% year on year to US$1.9 billion. Despite its strong performance, Adobe has faced negative market sentiment, affecting tech stocks, particularly software-as-a-service companies, amid the AI boom. Adobe's shares have dropped about 25% year-to-date. Goodman remains undeterred by the challenges.