For 43 years, Adobe has evolved with the times. After creating a foundational programming language for rendering text and graphics, it produced a suite of creative tools, created the PDF file format standardizing how documents are shared, and deployed an industry-leading subscription model. “This company is good at reinventing itself,” says Anil Chakravarthy, president of Adobe’s customer experience orchestration business. The company has over 850 million monthly active users, and as part of its AI integration push, it has kept creators—86% of which already use generative AI based on a company survey—in control of their process. In filmmaking, where Adobe has a large presence—85% of the films premiering at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival used Adobe software—it partnered media industry leaders like United Talent Agency, production house B5 Studios, VFX studio Cantina Creative, and director David Ayer to test drive and encourage mainstream uptake of Adobe’s Firefly platform, which can generate image, video, and audio. Adobe has also tailored tools to specific needs in media, and last September reported that 99% of Fortune 100 companies have used AI in an Adobe app, including Walt Disney and Coca-Cola, which have used Adobe’s AI tools for marketing. Adobe reported in March that its annual recurring revenue from AI-first applications tripled year over year, with Firefly-related video generation increasing eightfold over the same period. As AI lowers the bar to entry for creative work, Adobe hopes to stay ahead by offering end-to-end tools to polish and distribute content at scale. —Tharin Pillay
