The Firefly Initiative

The Firefly training is pivotal in Adobe’s exploration of generative AI. Adobe’s Firefly models are supposed to be specifically designed for safe commercial use, relying on licensed content for training to ensure ethical and legal compliance.

Opportunities for Creators

For digital creators, the Firefly initiative is offering opportunities to monetize their skills. By participating in “content missions,” creators can contribute to generative AI models that enrich Adobe Stock with diverse images. These missions aim to fill gaps in training data, like cultural images, essential for creating more inclusive AI models.

In 2024, Adobe launched the Firefly Contributor Bonus, offering financial incentives to Adobe Stock contributors whose content trained Firefly. The bonus calculation considers the total number of approved videos and images contributed over time.It also considers the number of licenses generated by these assets during this period.  Not all content submitted to Adobe Stock qualifies for this bonus since Firefly does not train on every submission.

Earnings and Payment Structure

Traditionally, for photos, vectors, and illustrations, contributors receive a 33% commission per download, with earnings ranging from $0.33 to $26.40 depending on the buyer’s plan. Videos earn a higher commission at 35%, with earnings per download varying from $4.55 to $7.84. Adobe’s Firefly Contributor Bonus average payout is reportedly around $10, with only a small percentage of contributors earn more than this amount. The calculation of the bonus depends on the assets that you submit and license during a specified period. In the future, Adobe will base bonuses on new approvals and licenses each year.

Based on the structure, downloads of images yield ongoing payments to creators. Generative AI implies the downloads could be eliminated completely at some point, or certainly greatly impacted, even while users continue to pay a subscriber fee…. hmmm.

Example Mission: Capturing City Skylines

A current example ‘content mission’ involves uploading images of famous landmarks or city skylines as seen through windows or from balconies. Contributors submit between 500 and 1,000 images per mission, focusing on natural lighting and avoiding digital manipulation.

Conclusion

Adobe uses missions in Firefly training to help creators monetize their work while enhancing its products. Is this collaboration fostering creativity and diversity, or is Adobe exploiting the creative market, and for what purpose? Will missions continue indefinitely with payouts? Or is this a diminishing return with a finish line that edges the creator out of the equation entirely?