Interview: Adobe’s Meg Donovan, Senior Director of Product Marketing for Generative AI & Creators, on AI as an Accelerant for Creativity

Meg Donovan

“We talk a lot about AI as an accelerant, not something that detracts from creativity,” Meg Donovan, Senior Director of Product Marketing for Generative AI and Creators at Adobe, told me during our conversation at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

That’s how Adobe views the role of AI in creativity: not as a replacement for creators, but as an accelerant that can remove barriers and unlock ideas that previously may not have been possible.

As one example, Donovan referenced a conversation with a creator in the UK who said AI tools helped make a shoot possible that otherwise would not have happened given the region’s rainy weather.

“There are ways in which it’s amplifying creators to be more creative and do more,” she said.

How Adobe Is Using AI to Simplify Creator Workflows

Beyond expanding creative possibilities, AI is also helping creators rethink their workflows.

Creating content is only part of the job. Today’s creators are also managing editing, production, brand partnerships, business operations, and countless other responsibilities that can take time away from the creative work they enjoy most.

“A lot of our tooling is really focused on enabling creators to not be burdened or bogged down by some of those repetitive tasks,” Donovan said.

Adobe’s latest Firefly AI Assistant updates reflect that focus, introducing tools designed to streamline production, including the ability to build brand kits, transform photos into short-form videos, and bulk edit photos.

“All of those things require the creator’s creativity. We still need that in this world,” Donovan said. “But a lot of those tedious tasks and steps in their workflow, we want to power so that they can amplify their voice and their creativity.”

Why AI Is Making It Harder for Creators to Stand Out

But as AI tools become more accessible, creators face a new challenge: how do you stand out when everyone has access to the same technology?

Adobe Creator Toolkit Report

It’s already a concern for many creators. Among creators who say it’s harder to stand out today than a year ago, 53% point to the sheer volume of content being created, while 42% say AI-generated content is making it more difficult for unique voices to break through, according to Adobe’s Creator Toolkit Report.

The findings highlight the paradox of AI in the creator economy: while the technology is lowering barriers to creation, it’s also raising the bar for originality

Advice for Creators in the AI Era

For Donovan, the answer starts with maintaining a strong point of view.

“Hold the bar high,” she said. “Know yourself, know your voice, and be able to leverage the tools to capitalize on that.”

Donovan also believes curiosity will become an increasingly important skill for creators navigating an AI-powered creative landscape.

“When LLMs first emerged, one thing that struck me was that the people who are going to be really good at creativity, or even just life, are the ones asking questions, and that comes from a place of curiosity,” she said.

What's Next for Adobe Firefly and AI Creator Tools

Looking ahead, Donovan believes the next phase of AI in the creator ecosystem will be defined by simplification.

Today, creators are often piecing together dozens of different tools and platforms to bring an idea to life. The next challenge isn’t giving creators more tools; it’s helping them work across fewer of them.

“Right now, not just in the AI creative tooling space, but the creative space, there are so many options,” she said. “When I speak with creators, there’s a deep desire for simplicity and not having to have the 13 tabs problem.”

“We have everything within Adobe that a creator could need to go from an idea, a brand partnership, to publishing,” Donovan said. “I think you’ll start to see a movement toward simplification and there being an all-in-one solution, like Firefly. That’s what we’re betting on right now.”

That consolidation bet is worth watching closely. If Adobe’s right, the next competitive battleground in the AI tech stack isn’t just which tool generates the best output; it’s which one you never have to leave.