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Adobe announced Tuesday it plans to roll out a tool for full artificial intelligence image generation in its Photoshop software later this year — months after being panned for rendering historically inaccurate photos.

The company’s new tool —akin to DALL-E and Stable Diffusion —will enable creative professionals to generate images from text, positioning Adobe to compete with Microsoft-backed OpenAI, Stability AI, and other burgeoning artificial intelligence startups, Adobe said.

In March, its text-to-image, called Firefly, was criticized for following in the woke footsteps of Google’s image-generator Gemini, producing photos depicting black Nazis and female founding fathers.

During a conference in London on Tuesday, the company unveiled a beta version of full image generation, utilizing its new Firefly Image 3, which is set to be more advanced in quality and “attention to detail.”

Adobe executives said the software is not meant for generating photorealistic depictions of real or historical events.

Adobe’s commercial image-generating software is deliberately trained on data owned by Adobe to avoid copyright infringement claims faced by rival AI developers.

The new release is meant to streamline the workflow of creative professionals using its software.

Previously, Adobe expanded Photoshop’s capabilities to include filling in or extending parts of an existing image.

The upcoming image-generation tool will enable users to utilize their uploaded images as references for generating new compositions.

For example, a designer could make a quick sketch of a scene on a napkin, snap a photo of that napkin with a smartphone and then ask Photoshop to generate fully featured images in a variety of styles, said Ely Greenfield, chief technology officer for digital media at Adobe.

“Rather than having to very carefully describe exactly what goes where and try to make sure that I’m specifying the things I want things and that I don’t, it’s borrowing from the reference. So this is an amazingly powerful capability,” Greenfield said.

In a statement, Adobe announced that the latest release of Photoshop is now available through the desktop beta app, but did not provide a specific date for the general release in 2024.

Since its launch in March 2023, Firefly has generated over 7 billion images, Adobe said in the statement.

The application has contributed to a 30% year-over-year growth in users for the nearly 40-year-old image-editing software Photoshop, according to media news source CNET.

With Post wires

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Sports

Seize the Grey wins Preakness, denies Mystik Dan

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Seize the Grey wins Preakness, denies Mystik Dan

Seize the Grey went wire to wire to win the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, giving 88-year-old Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas a seventh victory in the race and ending Mystik Dan’s Triple Crown bid.

The gray colt, ridden by Jamie Torres, took advantage of the muddy track just like Lukas hoped he would, pulling off the upset at Pimlico Race Course in a second consecutive impressive start two weeks after romping in a race on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs. Seize the Grey went off at 9-1, one of the longest shots on the board.

Mystik Dan finished second in the field of eight horses running in the $2 million, 1 3/16-mile race. After falling short of going back to back following his win by a nose in the Kentucky Derby, it would be a surprise if he runs in the Belmont Stakes on June 8 at Saratoga Race Course.

Mystic Dan’s second-place finish extends a six-year drought in which the Kentucky Derby winner has failed to repeat at the Preakness Stakes. It is the longest such drought since 1989 to 1997, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Seize the Grey was a surprise Preakness winner facing tougher competition than in the Pat Day Mile on May 4. Though given the Lukas connection, it should never be a surprise when one of his horses is covered in a blanket of black-eyed Susan flowers.

No one in the race’s 149-year history has saddled more horses in the Preakness than Lukas with 48 since debuting in 1980. He had two this time, with Just Steel finishing fifth.

Lukas has now won the Preakness seven times, one short of the record held by two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer and close friend Bob Baffert, whose Imagination finished seventh. Baffert also was supposed to have two horses in the field and arguably the best, but morning line favorite Muth was scratched earlier in the week because of a fever.

Muth’s absence made Mystik Dan the 2-1 favorite, but he and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. could not replicate their perfect Derby trip — when they won the race’s first three-way photo finish since 1947. Instead, Torres rode Seize the Grey to a win in his first Preakness.

This was the last Preakness held at Pimlico Race Course as it stands before demolition begins on the historic but deteriorating track, which will still hold the 150th running of it next year during construction.

That process is already well underway at Belmont Park, which is why the final leg of the Triple Crown is happening at Saratoga for the first time and is being shortened to 1¼ miles because of the shape of the course. Kentucky Derby second-place finisher Sierra Leone, a half step from winning, is expected to headline that field.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Politics

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris will not stand at next election

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Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris will not stand at next election

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has said he won’t be standing at the next general election but will keep campaigning for the Conservative Party.

In a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, which he posted on X on Saturday night, Mr Heaton-Harris said after 24 years in politics, it had been an “honour and a privilege to serve”.

He thanked the people of Daventry, Mr Sunak and former Tory leaders, including Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, “for putting their trust in me”.

Mr Heaton-Harris, who has been serving as Northern Ireland secretary since September 2022, said: “I started as a campaigner and I’ll be out campaigning for @Conservatives at the next election because we are the only party that has and can deliver for the whole of the United Kingdom.”

He joins an exodus of Tory politicians who have announced they will be leaving Westminster at the next general election.

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More than 100 MPs from across the Commons have said they will not be standing.

Those who have announced their intention to leave parliament range from the longest-serving female MP, Labour’s Harriet Harman, to one of those only elected at the last election in 2019, Conservative MP Dehenna Davison.

Of the more than 60 Tory MPs stepping aside, high profile names include former cabinet ministers Ben Wallace, Sajid Javid, Dominic Raab and Kwasi Kwarteng.

Back in March, Mrs May, 67, said she too had taken the “difficult decision” to quit the Commons after 27 years representing her Maidenhead constituency.

The last possible day for a general election is Tuesday 28 January 2025.

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UK

Oleksandr Usyk defeats Tyson Fury to become heavyweight champion of the world

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Oleksandr Usyk defeats Tyson Fury to become heavyweight champion of the world

Oleksandr Usyk has become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world after defeating Tyson Fury in boxing’s biggest fight of the century.

The Ukrainian won on a split decision following the match in Saudi Arabia.

Usyk had 115-112 and 114-113 on two cards, while Fury took the other 114-113.

Oleksandr Usyk lands a punch on Tyson Fury. Pic: PA
Image:
Oleksandr Usyk lands a punch on Tyson Fury. Pic: PA

Fury disputed his loss after the match, saying: “I believe I won that fight. I believe he won a few rounds but I won more of them.

“Make no mistake I won that fight and I’ll be back.”

In response Usyk said he was “ready for a rematch”.

Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk. Pic: Action Images via Reuters
Image:
Pic: Action Images via Reuters

Fury came under early pressure, with Usyk taking the centre of the ring with an aggressive offensive from the start.

At one point Fury was pushed against the ropes and started laughing as Usyk applied pressure.

The “Gypsy King” looked relaxed as he moved around the ring in the early rounds and picked his shots.

Pic: PA
Image:
Pic: PA

Tyson Fury lunges at Oleksandr Usyk. Pic: PA
Image:
Fury lunges at Usyk. Pic: PA

But after Usyk landed a right hook in the ninth round it looked as if Fury was in serious trouble. The Ukrainian followed up by unloading freely but somehow the bookmakers’ favourite stayed on his feet and was saved by the bell.

Last night, Fury weighed in at 262lbs (18st 10lbs) – nearly three stone heavier than Usyk, who clocked in at a career heaviest of 223lbs (15st 13lbs).

Fury refused to look at his opponent during a news conference on Thursday, but did not back down at the weigh-in last night, where the pair almost came to blows before being separated by their entourages.

Usyk arrived into the ring first, dressed as a Cossack warrior.

Fury entered to songs by Barry White and Bonnie Tyler, with the “Gypsy King” spending several minutes dancing on stage before the song changed to Holding Out For A Hero.

Anthony Joshua watched from the ringside, knowing he could meet the winner early next year.

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