Adobe Wants AI Video Editing To Feel Like Real Editing
Adobe has opened a public beta of new Firefly Video tools that finally let you edit AI-generated clips without starting from scratch. The headline feature: "Prompt to Edit," which lets you direct changes with plain text-like a creative lead giving notes in real time.
For product teams, this shifts AI video from a novelty to a practical workflow. You can iterate faster, keep creative control, and ship more polished assets without bouncing between tools.
What's New in Firefly Video
- Prompt to Edit (powered by Runway's Aleph model): Add or remove objects, replace backgrounds, tweak lighting and weather, and even adjust "focal length." You're not re-generating a new clip-you're modifying the one you already like.
- Virtual camera control: Simulate camera moves and framing changes with text prompts to nail the shot without reshoots.
- Integrated editor: A browser-based, multi-track timeline that feels like a simpler Premiere Pro. Combine AI clips with real footage, add SFX or music, and keep going in Firefly or bring it into Premiere desktop.
- Transcript-based editing: Edit talking-heads or interviews by changing the transcript text. Faster fixes, fewer rounds.
Partner Models Now Inside Firefly
- Topaz Labs Astra: Upscale low-res footage-AI or real-to Full HD or 4K. It can also restore older or poor-quality clips without leaving Firefly.
- Black Forest Labs FLUX.2: Photorealistic images, better text rendering, and up to four reference images. Available in Firefly's Text to Image, Prompt to Edit, Boards, and as a model choice for Photoshop's Generative Fill. It's also coming to Adobe Express next month.
If you want to see the direction Adobe is taking, start with Adobe Firefly and compare it with what's happening at Runway.
Why This Matters for Product Teams
- Fewer creative resets: You iterate on the clip you already have instead of gambling on a new generation.
- Lower handoffs: Edit, upscale, and restore inside one environment. Less friction, fewer exports.
- Faster testing: Generate variants, tweak framing, and swap backgrounds quickly for channel-specific versions.
- Content reuse: Restore and repurpose older assets with Astra upscaling to meet current quality bars.
Access, Pricing, and Timing
The new editing tools are available now in a public beta. From now until January 15, 2026, customers on Firefly Pro, Firefly Premium, and the 7,000 or 50,000-credit plans get unlimited image and video generations. Firefly Pro starts at $19.99/month.
Recommended First Steps
- Create a test project with a 30-60 second deliverable. Mix AI clips and real footage in the Firefly timeline.
- Use Prompt to Edit to adjust lighting and focal length, then test a background swap. Measure iteration time versus your current process.
- Run older B-roll through Astra to check if restored 4K holds up for your channels.
- Try FLUX.2 for image elements that require readable text (screens, signage, lower-thirds).
Want a Broader View of Video AI Tools?
Scan curated options and workflows here: Generative video tools. If you're planning team enablement, see role-based picks: Courses by job.
Bottom line: Firefly's update makes AI video usable in an actual editing workflow. If shipping speed and iteration cost matter to your roadmap, it's worth piloting now while generations are unlimited.
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