Tech
“Software is over”: Bold AI developer takes aim at Adobe with open source clones
Publication: Ars Technica - All content
Author: Kyle Orland
Source published: 07/10/2026, 21:56:42 UTC
Briefing created: 26/10/2026, 00:46:14 UTC
Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 08/10/2026, 14:13:24 UTC.
Briefings
Software developer Brandon Thomas announced the launch of seven open source applications replicating Adobe's Creative Suite using AI-powered reverse engineering and Anthropic's Claude Opus 5.5 in Rust. The new suite includes Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, Lightroom, After Effects, InDesign, and Acrobat Pro, with WebAssembly versions available for browsers. Thomas claims the current alpha will soon achieve perfect fidelity, though the article notes current shortcomings remain. The project originated as Artcraft, a tool for AI image and video editing, and was recently pivoted to full UI recreation.
Key points
- Brandon Thomas launched seven open source apps replicating Adobe's Creative Suite using AI reverse engineering and Anthropic's Claude Opus 5.5 in Rust.
- The new suite includes Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, Lightroom, After Effects, InDesign, and Acrobat Pro, with WebAssembly versions available for browsers.
Context
Software developer Brandon Thomas used AI-powered reverse engineering to mimic Adobe's Creative Suite with what he hopes will soon be perfect fidelity. The project originated as Artcraft, a 'controllable AI for artists' for precise post-generation editing, and was recently pivoted to a suite of seven open source apps recreating the user interface and tools found in Adobe's Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, Lightroom, After Effects, InDesign, and Acrobat Pro.
Limitations
The article notes current shortcomings of the new software, and while Thomas promises the current 'super early alpha' will soon lead to functional software, specific performance metrics, error rates, or timeline for full release are not provided.
Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 26/10/2026, 00:46:14 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.
View archived briefing on IPFS
bafybeictfhtt4q7rw4quu4grmy5zlxyrr2g34qhqwlj2b7eh4to37ulxtm