Adobe AI assistant available for Reader and Acrobat users

Software firm Adobe has introduced advanced artificial intelligence (AI) functionalities to its PDF reader to improve user experiences.

The company recently disclosed that the AI functionalities will be available on Acrobat, with Reader receiving the feature in the coming weeks. The feature, which is currently in beta, will provide users with detailed summaries of PDFs and other documents in real time.

The generative AI functionality relies on Adobe’s proprietary technology, Acrobat Liquid Mode, and other advanced machine learning offerings to improve the state of its services. Early users will have access to an AI chatbot capable of providing document summaries using an “intuitive conversational interface.”

The new AI features offer users intelligent citations, seamless navigation through links, and formatted outputs. Pundits have drawn similarities with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, but rather than requiring users to paste text or upload documents, Adobe’s service offers an built-in experience.

A closer look at the statement reveals that the feature will extend beyond PDF to include other formats like PowerPoint and Word. The company disclosed that the new AI functionalities will seek user consent before using their data to train the AI assistant.

Other guardrails for the safe usage of the AI feature include adopting an agnostic approach to large language models (LLMs), enterprise-grade security, and an alignment with Adobe’s AI Ethics processes.

“Generative AI offers the promise of more intelligent document experiences by transforming the information inside PDFs into actionable, knowledge and professional-looking content,” said Abhigyan Modi, senior vice president at Document Cloud.

“PDF is the de facto standard for the world’s most important documents and the capabilities introduced today are just the beginning of the value AI Assistant will deliver through Reader and Acrobat applications and services.”

Bright future for AI

Adobe’s statement unveiled a blueprint for integrating AI and other emerging technologies into its commercial offerings. There are ambitious plans to expand the AI-powered summary feature to a wide range of document types, with the company mulling the introduction of AI-powered document creation.

In the coming months, users will have wider access to personalize their documents in addition to improved document collaboration with other users.

Adobe’s announcement remains coy on pricing but suggests that a new add-on subscription plan will be added upon a full product launch. For now, Acrobat Standard and Pro Teams users can access the AI Assistant in beta, with English-speaking users given priority over other languages.

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