In a game-changing move, Adobe has introduced a new "Generative Fill" feature to its latest Photoshop (Beta).

Driven by Adobe's Firefly engine, the feature works in a similar fashion to "in-painting" in DALLE-E 2, or the Stable Diffusion Photoshop plug-in: you select an area of the image, then enter a text prompt for what you'd like to see there instead.

While Photoshop's existing Content-Aware Fill tries to generate new image content from existing pixels in the image, this AI-driven feature generates imagery from whole cloth — letting you radically alter the contents of an image.

Generative Fill can alter image content, add new content, or even extend an image outward — something that Redditor's are going crazy with this week.

It also promises to match the lighting, perspective and style of the image, too — and from what we've seen, it tends to deliver on that front.

But there's a couple of key things that make this new feature really stand out.

For one, it is non-destructive: your generated content is rendered in layers that can be hidden or removed at will, while the original image below remains untouched.

More importantly, however, Adobe may have just solved a problem that's hampering the use of image generation tools on the job: copyright issues.

Most creative directors we've spoken with have told us they're hesitant to use image generation tools in production because they don't want to run afoul of intellectual property laws and get themselves — or a client — into legal trouble.

But Adobe says its Firefly image generator was trained strictly on Adobe Stock images, openly licensed work, and public domain content — meaning the source material is safe to use in commercial work.

This little detail solves a pretty massive hurdle for agencies interested in using AI commercially, and may alone move Adobe to the front of the pack.

That said, you may want to hold off for a few months. Adobe warns not to use the tool for commercial purposes while it's in beta. They say the tool should all be free of copyright issues in the second half of the year, when it's rolled out widely to all users.

Want to see even more eye candy of this new feature in action? Check out Adobe's announcement post for some impressive images and videos.

Whatcha waitin' for?

We always recommend that designers start using AI tools as soon as possible to avoid getting left behind, and now that one of industries biggest players has entered the fray, we strongly recommend you give their new feature try.

Head to the Adobe Firefly website where you can test out Generative Fill right in the browser, or download the new Photoshop (Beta) if you're a CC user.

Bear in mind that the feature often produces unexpected and surreal results — like two-headed horses, or impossible anatomies. As with all image generation tools, it can take a few tries and more than a few prompt edits to get good results.

But with a little practice, you, too, will finally be able to dress up your cat — without incurring their wrath.

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