Is it really safer than Midjourney?

Yes, primarily because of the training data. Midjourney and Stable Diffusion were trained on the 'open web,' which includes everything from fine art to graphic violence. Firefly is trained on Adobe Stock, which is curated and moderated, making 'accidental' inappropriate outputs much rarer.

Does it cost money to use?

There is a free version with a limited number of 'generative credits' per month. If your kid goes wild with it, they'll hit a wall. To get unlimited-ish use, you usually need a Creative Cloud subscription, which can be pricey.

Can I see what my kid is generating?

If they are using your account, you can see their 'Recents' on the Firefly website or their saved files in the Creative Cloud. If they are on a school account, you'd need to check their specific project folders.

Will it do homework for them?

It won't write an essay, but it can certainly 'do' the art for a poster or presentation. It's worth having a talk about when using AI is 'cheating' versus when it's just a helpful tool for a visual aid.

Adobe Firefly – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Adobe Firefly

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

Website2023

88%

WISE Score

The most 'adult in the room' version of AI art, integrated directly into the pro tools your kid might actually use for a career someday.

Adobe Firefly

Website

2023

88%

WISE Score

The most 'adult in the room' version of AI art, integrated directly into the pro tools your kid might actually use for a career someday.

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Screenwise Verdict

Adobe Firefly is the generative AI tool for the 'intentional' family. It lacks the Wild West chaos of Midjourney or the meme-heavy vibe of DALL-E, opting instead for a professional, buttoned-up approach that lives inside real-world software like Photoshop and Illustrator.

It’s not a toy, and it doesn't try to be. But for a teenager who is actually interested in graphic design, photography, or digital art, it’s an essential piece of the kit. It balances the 'wow' factor of AI with a much-needed layer of corporate responsibility and safety controls.

Age Fit

Adobe says 13+, and that’s a solid guideline for independent use. Younger kids (10+) can have a blast with it if you're sitting there with them in Adobe Express, but it’s too complex—and the account requirements too high—for the elementary crowd to fly solo.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

It's a utility tool, so it doesn't have a narrative 'soul,' but it's built on a foundation of ethical training and commercial safety that avoids the darker, more exploitative corners of the AI world.

Imaginative

This is a literal imagination engine. The ability to describe a scene and see it rendered—or to use 'generative fill' to expand a photo—is a massive unlock for creative expression.

Safe

Adobe's training on licensed Stock images makes it much less likely to spit out nightmare fuel or copyright-infringing content compared to its competitors. Plus, the K-12 admin controls are a huge win for schools.

Enriching

It teaches the future of digital literacy. Understanding how to prompt, iterate, and ethically use AI is a foundational skill for any kid interested in design or tech in 2026.

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

Ethical training: Unlike other models that scraped the whole internet without asking, Firefly was trained on Adobe Stock and public domain images, meaning it's not 'stealing' from living artists.
Generative Fill is magic: The ability to select a boring background and replace it with a 'sci-fi nebula' in Photoshop is a massive hook for kids who find traditional photo editing too tedious.
Content Credentials: It automatically tags images as AI-generated, which is a great way to teach kids about digital transparency and the 'dead internet' theory.
School-friendly: If your kid is using it at school, administrators have a 'kill switch' to keep things focused and safe.

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What to Watch For

The 13+ hard line: Adobe is strict about their age gate. If you're setting this up for a younger kid, you'll likely be doing it under your own account, which means they'll have access to your full Creative Cloud storage.
Prompt frustration: AI is still AI. Your kid might get annoyed when it gives a person six fingers or completely ignores a specific part of their description.
Subscription creep: While there's a free tier, the best features are tucked inside paid Creative Cloud apps. It’s easy to start a 'free trial' that turns into a $60/month bill if you aren't careful.

Conversation Starters

"If an AI makes a cool picture based on your words, are you the artist, or is the computer?"
"Why do you think Adobe only used pictures they had permission to use, while other AI companies didn't?"
"How can we tell the difference between a real photo and something Firefly made?"
"If you could use this to change any photo of yourself, what's the first thing you'd change and why?"

Deep Dive

The 'Safe' AI Bet

By May 2026, generative AI is everywhere, but Firefly remains the standout for parents who care about where the data comes from. While other models are still bogged down in lawsuits over 'scraping' artists' work, Adobe’s decision to train on their own Stock library has aged incredibly well. It gives you a cleaner conscience when your kid is using it to generate a poster for their garage band or a school project.

Integration is Everything

The real power isn't just the firefly.adobe.com website; it's the fact that these tools are baked into Adobe Express and Photoshop. For a kid, this means they aren't just 'typing and waiting'—they are learning how to use layers, brushes, and composition. It turns the AI into a collaborator rather than a replacement for effort.

The K-12 Advantage

If your kid's school uses Adobe, they likely have access to a version of Firefly that is even more locked down. District admins can toggle features on or off, ensuring that the AI doesn't become a distraction or a way to bypass actual learning. It’s one of the few 'big tech' AI rollouts that actually considered the classroom environment from day one. If you're looking for a way to introduce AI that feels like a skill rather than just a parlor trick, this is the place to start.

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