posted in Technology
“Software is over”: Bold AI developer takes aim at Adobe with open source clones
arstechnica.com/ai/2026/10/software-is-over-bold-ai-developer-takes-aim-at-adobe-with-open-source-clones/
Replying to @JensSpahnpasta@feddit.org
I tried the video editor and photo editor. Lot’s of missing features. I don’t even think effects work at all in the video editor. Then, GIF support is totally broken/missing in the photo editor. But the base structure is there, but right now they’re more like simple programs dressed up as complex programs because of the amount of broken or missing feaures.
Replying to @TrantaLocked@lemmy.zip
The problem with vibe coding is that progress is great at first, it can build out the basic structure of an application, a data layer, some functionality that works, etc. But as the application gets more complex, it really starts to struggle to add that complexity without it getting confused and throwing out stuff that works because it can’t get the new parts to work. Or it forgets a structure that has been implemented, and designs a whole new structure for each added part, so you end up with massive regressions, a Frankenstein’s monster of different styles and implementations, and a very inconsistent application that just feels wrong to use. And if you now need to go in to the code to improve it yourself, you’ll either hit a wall of your own ability, or you’ll spend all your time trying to fit the square peg into the round hole that the ai generated. A complex application like Photoshop will never be replaced in it’s entirety by a vibe coder, not without good engineers keeping everything in check for the long term.
Replying to @tabris@lemmy.world
Not to argue with you, as I observe the same issues with assisted coding. But as someone who uses Photoshop on and off (mostly off recently, Gimp is sufficient for my needs) for like 20 years, I have an impression that it’s mostly coded by people who do not care in the slightest of what they’re doing. Not to say enthusiastic about their job. I imagine there are many people working on Photoshop, and some of them are very professional and all, but most I believe are just there doing shitty job. It’s fucking mess, the Photoshop, and most (if not all) Adobe’s products.
So while I’m very sceptical, as the next guy is, I believe we may see the rise of the vibe coded alternatives. A decade ago, when I had a simple task that involves doing something with an image, I built my process around Photoshop. Today, I try to vibe code a standalone CLI thing that does one simple thing, as I need it. (Often, they’re wrappers for ImageMagick.) I can imagine someone more skilled taking it further and making a GUI for it, and I doubt that would be worse than what’s Photoshop is.
So, if the product would accumulate a momentum, a dedicated professional folks may actually come up and lead some things here and there. The clean room implementation is an obvious bullshit. But as much Adobe doesn’t care about the copyright and licenses, why would an average Joe care about some intellectual property that Adobe holds?
They professional folks could show up at the doors of Gimp, Krita, Inkscape. Which would be better. But I think all these projects has fundamental issues with their UIs, providing mediocre UX way too often. (But sometimes much better, so it’s not like it’s entirely broken.)