OpenAI has integrated Adobe’s Photoshop, Acrobat, and Adobe Express into ChatGPT, allowing users to access these tools directly within the chatbot. This follows October’s announcement of app integrations like Spotify and Canva, expanding software availability to enhance user workflows through natural language prompts.
In October, OpenAI revealed plans to incorporate various applications into ChatGPT, starting with services such as Spotify for music playback and Canva for graphic design. The company indicated at that time that additional software integrations would follow, aiming to broaden the chatbot’s utility beyond text-based interactions. This development positions ChatGPT as a central hub for multiple digital tools, enabling seamless access without leaving the interface.
As of today, users can utilize Photoshop, Acrobat, and Adobe Express entirely within ChatGPT. These applications become available through OpenAI’s website, where all features are offered free of charge. However, to generate PDFs using Acrobat or illustrations with Adobe Express, individuals must first sign into their Adobe account. This authentication step ensures secure access to account-specific functionalities while maintaining the no-cost entry point for basic operations.
Activating any of these apps in ChatGPT requires simple user input. One method involves directly naming the desired application within the text prompt, such as requesting an edit in Photoshop. Alternatively, users can select the app from the plus menu icon, which displays available options for quick invocation. This dual approach accommodates both conversational and menu-driven preferences, streamlining the process for diverse user habits.
Among the integrated apps, Photoshop’s connection to ChatGPT stands out for its adaptive interface. The display adjusts dynamically based on the specific prompt provided. For instance, when a user seeks to brighten an image, relevant sliders appear, including one for exposure adjustment, accompanied by controls for shadows and highlights. These elements allow precise modifications tailored to the task. In contrast, prompts involving image effects prompt different options, such as sliders for dithering and tri-tone, which apply stylized alterations. This contextual presentation simplifies complex editing by surfacing only pertinent tools, reducing the overwhelm often associated with full Adobe software.
The underlying mechanism for these interactions relies on an MCP server provided by Adobe. Through this server, ChatGPT accesses a customized portion—or “slice”—of the complete applications, delivering focused functionality without requiring the entire suite. This setup enables efficient routing of user requests to appropriate tools, as demonstrated in controlled previews. Adobe’s implementation handles the complexity of its software ecosystem, presenting a curated experience that aligns with the chatbot’s conversational nature.
Aubrey Cattell, vice-president of developer platform and partner ecosystem at Adobe, detailed the collaborative process. “We build the Lego blocks, which are the MCP tools, and we create detailed instructions, and then ChatGPT figures out what it wants to do,” Cattell explains. He further notes, “Sometimes it does what we want it, and sometimes it doesn’t. That’s the nature of it being non-deterministic, and we’re continuing to hone as much as we can from users’ intent and natural language to give them the result that they’re looking for.” This analogy highlights the modular design of the MCP tools, which ChatGPT assembles according to interpreted user needs, though outcomes vary due to the AI’s probabilistic processing. Ongoing refinements aim to better translate natural language into accurate tool applications.
For users requiring advanced capabilities, the full web versions of Photoshop, Acrobat, and Adobe Express remain accessible with a single click from within ChatGPT. This option preserves the depth of Adobe’s professional-grade features, such as layered editing or extensive formatting, which exceed the streamlined slices provided in the integration.
This partnership marks a significant advancement for OpenAI in evolving ChatGPT into a comprehensive operating system. It supports the daily dependencies of over 800 million users on various applications, embedding essential tools directly into the platform to foster integrated workflows.
Adobe perceives the collaboration as mutually beneficial rather than rivalrous, despite OpenAI’s capabilities in image generation. Cattell emphasized the alignment with recent developments. “A couple weeks back, OpenAI dropped Apps SDK as a new paradigm for accessing ChatGPT, we saw there was a natural fit in the work we were doing with our applications,” he stated. He continued, “Essentially, they gave us an operating system we were able to leverage to bring our applications to their surface. There’s a lot of natural affinity there between the workflows OpenAI is trying to enable and Adobe’s best in class capabilities.” The Apps SDK serves as a framework that complements Adobe’s established tools, facilitating their incorporation into ChatGPT’s environment.
Looking ahead, Adobe commits to further explorations of integrations within ChatGPT. Cattell affirmed that the company will develop additional offerings to enhance the chatbot experience. Simultaneously, Adobe’s standalone applications will persist as the primary destination for users demanding heightened power, precision, and control in their creative and productivity tasks.
