As artificial intelligence reshapes the boundaries of creative work, Adobe has chosen a path of coexistence rather than replacement — expanding Photoshop in August 2026 with a beta AI Assisted Editor that lets designers speak to their images in plain language while leaving the precision architecture of professional editing entirely intact. The new tools, including mask-aware generative changes and direct access to 900 million stock assets, reflect a broader question the industry is quietly asking: how much of the creative act can be delegated without losing the craft itself. Adobe's answer, fo