Will AI vibration-enabled apps soon displace paid legacy software like Photoshop and Microsoft Word? Or will the flood of applications generated by AI models show that those legacy applications are superior products? Earlier this month, Reddit user u/ai_art_is_art, who Tom’s Hardware revealed was a software engineer named Brandon Thomas, shared a project he’s been working on: a rebuild of the entire Adobe Creative Suite, under the ArtCraft banner. However, there is one key difference between ArtCraft and Adobe software: you have to pay to access Adobe. From Adobe Premiere to Photoshop and After Effects, Thomas recreated them all with the help of AI in Rust, a programming language. Called PhotoCraft, FilmCraft, DesignCraft, EffectCraft, PdfCraft, VectorCraft and LightCraft, each duplicated one of the unique applications found in Adobe’s suite of software for creatives. And Thomas has released them all as free open source tools. Now, the developer is adopting the Microsoft Office suite. Mashable Light Speed Thomas just released WordCraft, DeckCraft, and GridCraft (along with additional creative duplicates like SoundCraft, DesignCraft, and CADCraft), which are their version of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. These apps have caused some controversy on Reddit and elsewhere on the Internet over AI-generated code. While Thomas has clarified that he is a software developer who knows how to code, concerns about cybersecurity and the ethics of AI-generated code have led to posts about his apps being removed from some subreddits. Additionally, there are concerns that Thomas is now overseeing a suite of applications by himself, although the community has also been invited to contribute to the open source project. Thomas is clearly pro-AI, which has also been a point of contention for some critics. It has launched these apps under its ArtCraft brand, a for-profit toolset for AI-generated art. Also, if you take another look at Thomas’ username on Reddit, it’s “The Art of AI is Art.” However, supporters of Thomas and his apps see this as an act of protest against companies like Adobe and what they see as unscrupulous subscription tactics, where Adobe makes it difficult for customers to cancel plans. It’s unclear whether Thomas’ apps have staying power at this point, but that hasn’t stopped social media users from speculating that the era of paid legacy software is over. In fact, we are seeing a similar trend in the gaming world, where jailbreaks and AI-assisted decompiled games are now readily available. Do you want to know more about how to get the most out of your technology? Sign up today for newsletters on the best Mashable stories and deals. Topics Applications and software Artificial intelligence
