AI was a key trend for 2025, but some of Adobe’s predictions for 2026 seem to focus on the one thing AI cannot do. I think this is the key to standing out as a creative in an AI world

As 2025 is coming to a close, software giant Adobe is making predictions for the biggest creative trends in 2026. As a photographer and tech journalist, I was expecting to find trends heavily influenced by AI, instead, it feels like half the predictions are anti-AI.

Adobe recently published its annual predictions for creative trends. Two of the four trends feel like an evolution of the brand’s 2025 trend report. Visuals that Engage the Senses feels a bit like a visual-focused take on the immersive art installations that Adobe highlighted in last year’s report. Similarly, the surrealism trend that Adobe called Fantastic Frontiers last year feels revamped in the 2026 trend Surreal Stillness. The Surrealism trend discusses using AI to create images that defy the laws of physics.

But, the other two of the four trends feel focused on authenticity and emotions – and as a photographer, I think those two trends are key to standing out in a world that now feels heavily focused on AI.

Connectioneering

Adobe describes the Connectioneering trend this way: “Images that Stir Emotions and Spark Connection.” Or, as Adobe Principal of Creative Services and Visual Trends Brenda Miller puts it, “People really want to feel what connects us all to the special, valuable things that make us human.”

A trend that focuses on human connections in an AI-saturated world is refreshing – but I think this trend will always be integral to photographers standing out in a world where computers can create images, not just in 2026.

Computers can’t feel emotions; they can’t feel the things that make humans human. Sure, AI can try to mimic these emotions by generating images based on a database of human-created images, but emotional photographs by creators actually capable of feeling such emotions will always have an advantage.

I was reading an article a few weeks back about a photo studio that specialized in photographing couples on a blank background and then generating a background of a popular travel destination behind them. My first thought was, why would I want a photo of myself in a place that I never got to experience?

This trend is why I think it’s important for photographers to consider not just the photos that they are getting, but the experience that clients are having in front of the camera. Are they stuck in bored poses in forced smiles? Or are they genuinely enjoying the photoshoot? I think both photos that spark emotion in the viewer and emotion in the person in front of the camera will be key to standing out in an AI world.

Local Flavors

“Local Flavors” is all about authentic experiences from around the world, Adobe says. The tech company has noticed an uptick in enterprise customers looking for authentic local and regional images, which is another positive trend for photographers moving into the coming year.

Along with the growing number of businesses looking for local photographs, Adobe also ties the trend into Gen Z and “appstinence,” or taking a break from the constant connectivity. I’m already seeing this in screen-free cameras and the resurgence of lo-fi compact cameras.

But I think the desire to take a break from constant connections applies to not just taking photos with devices that don’t have notifications but to the photos themselves. Adobe says that when brands work with local creators, the content feels more authentic and memorable.

“Embrace the culture’s authentic voice – no translators, no filters,” Adobe wrote. Like the Connectioneering trend, I think this speaks to photographers finding inspiration in their own culture and what makes them unique – and human.

Many of Adobe’s launches in 2025 have focused on AI (although not all, like the new Color Variance tool or Photoshop’s new color adjustment layer). It’s refreshing to see a list of 2026 predictions that is both a mix of AI and anti-AI.

“Some are telling stories that move us. Others are using AI as a tool to explore the world in ways we've never seen before, bringing bold ideas to life,” Adobe writes. “The real opportunity lies in embracing authenticity and innovation together — while recognizing that people remain at the heart of the creative process.”

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