Adobe is presently conceptualizing an experimental AI-powered upscaling tool. Albeit in its nascent stage and not open for beta testing, the tool showcases high potential for improving the quality of low-resolution videos and GIFs. Adobe refers to this technology as “Project Res-Up,” which employs the use of diffusion-based upsampling technology, a unique part of generative AI that amplifies new data from the existing one.
Dramatic Increase in Image Resolution and Quality
With the help of Project Res-Up, Adobe demonstrated the significant enhancements to the resolution of a video clip taken from “The Red House” (1947). The clip's resolution was boosted from 480 x 360 to 1280 x 960, a notable increase considering the total pixel count escalated by an astounding 675 percent. The aftermath of the upscaling process saw a marked increase in the sharpness and clarity of the footage, with added details like hair strands and highlights. Despite the slight unnatural appearance, characteristic of AI videos and images, the overall quality post-upscaling is commendable.
Project Res-Up: Breathe New Life into Old Memes
Another application of the tool was demonstrated in the upscaling of GIFs. The results, intriguingly, added a fresh perspective to some beloved and outdated memes. The potential of Project Res-Up extends beyond improving video clips and GIFs. With its proficiency at improving the quality of old and blurred images, this technology could be of immense value when applied to archival footages or family videos with poor resolution.
Adobe will further showcase Project Res-Up in the “Sneaks” section of the Adobe Max event. Adobe utilizes this platform to unveil future technologies and ideas that could potentially become part of Adobe's suite of products. The capabilities of Project Res-Up could eventually be integrated into popular editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro or Express. Past Adobe previews have often materialized into full-fledged apps and features, most notably Adobe Fresco and Photoshop's content-aware tool. As such, the outlook for Project Res-Up's proposition looks promising in the creative software realm.
Adobe Debuts Firefly Image 2 for AI Photo Generation
Adobe's annual MAX conference this week had a focus on AI solutions. Among them is Firefly Image 2, the latest version of the company's AI image generation software. Firefly Image 2 is a new and improved model that can create realistic and accurate images of human figures, focusing on the details of their faces, skin, limbs, and body shapes. This improvement aims to solve the common problems of rendering some parts like hands accurately in similar models.
Adobe says that Firefly users have created three billion images since the model was launched earlier this year, with one billion in the last month alone. Firefly became available in Photoshop last month. The company also says that 90% of Firefly users are new to Adobe's products. Adobe has added Firefly to its Creative Cloud service, making the former Firefly demo site a full-service option.
