Adobe unveils agent-based Firefly video editor at MAX 2026

Adobe announced a major Firefly update centered on video editing at Adobe MAX 2026 on 10 November, according to aitimes.com. The new Firefly video editor places the beta Firefly AI Assistant front and center, adding a dedicated ideation panel and enhanced storyboard features.

According to Adobe, users can handle story planning, timeline editing, captions and b-roll generation in a single workflow. New agent features include Plan Mode, which lets users review and approve plans before work begins, an always-on agent that organizes assets while the user is away, and model selection that picks an AI model for the required output.

The company also introduced Firefly Design, a beta that combines print, motion graphics and 3D on one canvas, and showed precise image editing features for lighting adjustment, retouching and object editing. Firefly Graph, a node-based workflow tool, is now available in beta inside Firefly; Adobe first introduced it last year and launched it for enterprise customers in June this year.

Leadership change and investor pressure

Adobe vice president Forrest Key described Firefly as an AI creative studio that combines top models, trusted tools and an agent acting as a creative partner. The announcement comes as Adobe's stock is down about 30% this year as of early November, with Wells Fargo and HSBC cutting their investment ratings last month and Rothschild & Co Redburn cutting its target price from $270 to $140 this month.

In its third quarter, from June to August, Adobe's revenue rose 13% year on year to a record $6.76 billion, and AI-centric annual recurring revenue grew more than 150%, though fourth-quarter guidance fell short of market expectations. Anil Chakravarthy takes over as CEO on 1 December, the company's first CEO change in 19 years.