Inside Adobe's Creative Collective: A clear-eyed look at AI's role in creative work
Most creatives are tired of the same AI debate. One side predicts job loss, the other promises a golden age, and the rest of us just want to use the tools without losing our voice or our value.
Adobe's Creative Collective is a welcome shift. Instead of more noise, it brings together people who are actually doing the work-testing ideas in public, sharing what breaks, and showing what holds up in the studio, on set, and with clients.
The space between extremes
"Artists are being pushed into extremes with AI," says Don Allen Stevenson III, creative technologist and AI research lead at Moonvalley, and a founding member of the Collective. "When most of us actually live in the space between."
That's the point here. Not hype. Not doom. The useful middle where real creative decisions happen-authorship, craft, pricing, and process.
Who's in the room
- Tina Roth Eisenberg - Founder of CreativeMornings, builder of generous creative communities.
- Stefan Sagmeister - Designer known for pushing what design can mean.
- Lindsay Adler - Fashion photographer and educator with a global audience.
- Tim Tadder - Photographer exploring AI as a collaborator, not a replacement.
- Brandon Baum - VFX studio founder representing digital-native creators.
- Karen X Cheng - Creator whose viral videos make new techniques accessible.
- Scott Belsky - Behance founder working at the junction of creativity and tech.
- Don Allen Stevenson III - Creative technologist focused on practical AI research.
Why this matters
This isn't a badge or a promo tour. The Collective is built to deliver three things creatives actually need right now: honest conversation, real examples, and actionable guidance.
You'll see this through community events, roundtables, and published reports that show what's working (and what isn't) across disciplines.
First stop: 99U Conference, 4 June, New York City
Expect straight answers to practical questions at the returning Adobe 99U Conference on 4 June in New York City.
- How do you maintain authorship when AI is part of the workflow?
- What does fair compensation look like as tools change the process?
- How do we make sure tech amplifies human creativity instead of replacing it?
Built on actual experience
These voices aren't guessing. Tim Tadder has moved from film to digital to AI-assisted production and knows the tradeoffs. Brandon Baum grew up inside creative software, which gives him a native feel for new workflows. Karen X Cheng turns experimentation into clear, teachable concepts that spread fast. And Tina Roth Eisenberg keeps the focus on community and generosity, not gatekeeping.
This spirit runs through Adobe's broader efforts too-from apprenticeships to talent programs and partnerships with groups like CreativeMornings. The Collective is one tight node in a wider network built to help creatives learn, connect, and build sustainable careers.
What to expect next
Playbooks, data-driven reports, and frequent community dialogue. Biannual summits that turn complex debates into clear themes and real opportunities for working creatives. Less theory, more field notes.
What you can do now
- Define authorship rules for your studio: what's AI-assisted, what's human-only, and how you disclose it to clients.
- Update pricing to reflect idea value, not just labor hours. Quote for outcomes and rights.
- Build a small, stable toolset and document settings/workflows so results stay consistent across projects.
- Log your process (prompts, iterations, passes) to protect originality and make revisions faster.
- Join the conversation: attend events, ask hard questions, and share your test projects with peers.
- Level up your skills with focused training that maps to your role. If helpful, explore curated options for creatives via Complete AI Training by job.
The conversation we actually need
Most of us aren't trying to be first movers or holdouts. We want to do strong work, serve clients, and keep our voice intact as tools evolve. That's where the Creative Collective is pointing-toward clear principles, shared standards, and better decisions in the messy middle.
Will it deliver? We'll see. But the foundation is strong: experienced practitioners, practical resources, and a focus on making AI useful for real projects and real people. That's a conversation worth having-and the right people are in the room.
Further information
Adobe is bringing visionary creatives together to drive honest discussions about AI's true effects, where the industry is headed next, and how we move forward together. Hear stories from the people pushing the craft in public. Get updates from Adobe's Creative Collective and keep an eye on upcoming sessions, podcast conversations, and events like the 99U Conference.
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