Doc Barry Loc: Huntsville, Alabama USA

I just preordered Luminar AI which is to be released later this year. It is not an upgrade to Luminar 4, but is a new program. They state that Luminar 4 will be supported for a while with new (free) updates. If you have any Luminar or Aurora HDR, you get a discount.

Should be interesting to see how it performs. Topaz Labs has been putting AI in many of their products and I have liked them.

So we can keep using Luminar 4, but Skylum's focus will be on furhter development of Luminar AI.

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

They're taking Luminar 4 out behind the barn? Splendid idea. But they're trying again huh? Oh well the barn will still be there.

old man 88 Loc: Palmview, TX when not on road

I ordered the new version AI today should be available by Christmas

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I wonder why Topaz and Luminar use AI? Not sure what photographic AI is, but why doesn't Adobe use AI?

Doc Barry Loc: Huntsville, Alabama USA

Hi,
Photographic AI in this context is used to minimize your efforts in obtaining quality post-processed images. In theory, you would just input your photograph and the program would analyze it for content and then figure out what it can do to make it a fantastic final image. What the program thinks is fantastic may not be what you do, but then you have the option to tweak it as you desire. Actually, calling it AI is a bit too broad. In this case I expect Luminar AI actually is machine-learning based with deep learning methods (a subset of machine learning) to develop its "intelligence." Most likely Skylum has taken untold numbers of images to analyze (both good and bad) in the building of its knowledge base. Topaz has taken a similar path although they have been building AI modules that can interface with each other. Also they have been consolidating some modules. Over the next few years, I anticipate that Topaz will offer an fully integrated package with Topaz Studio 4 (my new number for the product!) as the base. Skylum and Topaz both make good products and are actively developing them.

Why doesn't Adobe have AI-based products for photography? Adobe does offer a product that is AI with machine learning, viz., Sensei which is for business applications. My answer to your question is that photography users are a relatively small fraction of their total business. Many businesses use Photoshop too I note. So Adobe wisely focuses their resources on products that affect the bottom line the greatest. Sensei makes sense for them. On the other hand, photography is the prime business of Skylum and Topaz Labs. Moving into AI is no small feat and it gives them both an edge in the marketplace. I note also that ON1 is also now incorporating AI in some features of their program ... this is also their business focus.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Isn't Photoshop's Content Aware Fill considered AI?

Doc Barry Loc: Huntsville, Alabama USA

John,
PS's CAF I believe arguably can be considered AI-based; however, Topaz Mask AI is clearly deep learning based.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I'm bad guilty. It was a trick question. Adobe is pushing AI and branding it Sensai. Some of their AI tricks are cool. One is that images loaded into the cloudy Lightroom respond to keyword searches when there are no key words. In the Classic Lightroom the 'Auto' button in the Develop module is promoted as machine learning Sensai powered. In Photoshop the object removal tools have become more artificially intelligent. Demos of the Premiere Pro, After Effects and Audition can really stretch believability.

Adobe is not leaving AI out of their products. They just don't make it part of the title. Maybe it could be it could be 'Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic AI".

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

"Topaz Mask AI is clearly deep learning based."

That would be fun reading. Can you send me to a link? Thanks.

Doc Barry Loc: Huntsville, Alabama USA

Hi John,

See https://topazlabs.com/mask-ai/. They say machine learning which is the uber level of deep learning. The description of how they developed the program I read a bit ago certainly appeared they used deep learning principles in developing their algorithms.

miked46 Loc: Winter Springs, Florida

I am also going to pre-order the new Luminar AI

LarryFitz Loc: Beacon NY

I pre ordered. Hoping to change my editing workflow. If Luminar AI can do a B+ job on my full set of images, then I can better decide which ones from the set will be worth my time to do a full post processing edit on.

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

I preordered AI, too.

FreddB Loc: PA - Delaware County

I could be wrong (my wife is taking bets on that), but it appears that Luminar is heading down the subscription path - "Luminar X Membership" @ $59
per year.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

AI is the latest hot computer buzzword added to product names. Decades ago, everyone added “.com” to their name, then it was “cloud”, now it’s “AI”.