Some of the most impressive tech that Adobe showcases at its annual Max conference each year is the experimental features it’s developing, and the latest of those tools are being announced today: they can transform images into explorable 3D scenes, design AI characters by talking to them, and turn photo editing into a copy/paste process.
The first (and weirdest, in my opinion) is Project Screen Test, which is designed to make AI-generated characters easier to develop and use for video content. Instead of just describing how the character should sound and behave in text prompts, the tool lets you talk to the character and direct them in an audition-like environment.
You start by describing some base personality traits, such as “anxious, shy, awkward,” and giving the character a voice, either by selecting a preset, describing how it sounds in a prompt, or uploading sample audio for it to reference.
You can then expand its persona in further detail by conversing with the character as if you’re talking on FaceTime, outlining its backstory, temperament, goals, flaws, fears, movement quirks and more.
Once you’re happy, the tool lets you generate animated screen tests with the character by describing an environment or scenario you want to put them in. [Image: This Personality tab lets you manually adjust any of the traits that were generated for the character by talking to it. https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/Screenshot-2026-11-11-085454.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] This is currently a
standalone creative exercise, and it’s not clear how (or if) it could feature in any of Adobe’s existing AI video tools.
The results provided a more identifiable and consistent personality compared to many soulless animated AI characters I’ve seen, but that’s the entire reason this exists — AI video generation provides far less creative control compared to traditional animation, where every aspect of a character is included with absolute intention.
There’s also Project Sight Span, which reframes photographs and images by turning them into a 3D environment that you can navigate through and reposition. The 3D space generates objects and backgrounds that are outside of the original frame, but feel like a natural part of the image, even if you’re turning to see what’s behind you.
While the visuals in the 3D environment are pixelated and ill–defined, the resolution quality is restored when you select your chosen angle. [Image: This still doesn’t really do Project Sight Span justice, but a video demonstration should take place at the Adobe Max sneaks keynote. https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/Screenshot-2026-11-11-085101.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] Sight Span works
with any flat image, including photos, paintings, and illustrations, and can preserve and replicate artistic styles.
Even repositioned tattoos and facial features in photographs remain surprisingly recognizable and true to the original reference. It’s a bit like a version of Apple’s Spatial Reframing feature on steroids: you can reposition more aggressively and change the shooting point entirely if you want, but it also feels far less deserving of being called a photo afterward.
Project Sound Bender is an AI audio mixing feature that lets you customize sound effects as if you’re clicking your cursor around a color wheel. It works by uploading a video clip and then describing your desired audio in a text prompt, such as “bubbling sci-fi cauldron…
