"Is this a real photo, or is it AI?"
This question has become increasingly common as generative artificial intelligence advances rapidly, blurring the line between actual photographs and AI-generated images. The competitive landscape in creative software is shifting, and global software giant Adobe has made a major decision: its CEO is stepping down.
"AI Competition Pressure"… Adobe CEO Resigns
Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe—the company behind Photoshop—has announced his resignation, drawing significant market attention.
According to Bloomberg on Monday (local time), Narayen will remain in his role until a successor is appointed, then transition to executive chairman of the board.
Narayen has led Adobe for approximately 18 years since 2007.
During his tenure, he grew Adobe's revenue sixfold to $24 billion and transformed the company into a cloud-based platform by shifting its software sales to a subscription model.
However, circumstances have changed. Rapid AI advancement is disrupting the creative software market. Big tech companies including Google have launched AI-powered image and video generation models, reshaping the creative ecosystem once dominated by Photoshop and Illustrator.
Market observers interpret this leadership transition as a signal to strengthen AI strategy and accelerate innovation.
"The key challenge will be whether the next leadership can balance financial stability with aggressive AI investment," said Grace Harmon, analyst at eMarketer.
Following the announcement, Adobe shares fell approximately 7% in after-hours trading. The stock has declined about 23% year-to-date, approaching its lowest level in three years.
"I Didn't Know It Was AI"… People Can No Longer Tell the Difference
AI-generated content has already become deeply embedded in daily life.
According to a Korea Research survey conducted last month, 70% of respondents reported seeing AI-generated images or videos within the past year.
The rate is higher among younger generations: 89% for those aged 18-29, compared to 54% for those 70 and older. AI content has become mainstream across all age groups.
Public perception is notably accepting. Eighty-one percent of respondents viewed the spread of AI content as "a natural evolution of the times," while 66% said "the distinction between human-created and AI-generated content will become increasingly meaningless."
The problem lies in actual detection ability. In a test mixing four AI images with four real photographs, the average correct identification rate was only 50%.
Notably, 14% mistook real photos for AI images, while 8% believed AI images were real photographs.
Industry experts predict that as AI technology advances further, distinguishing image authenticity with the human eye may become virtually impossible.
AI Market's Clear Winner… OpenAI Soars
Amid these changes, AI companies' valuations are surging. ChatGPT developer OpenAI stands as a prime example.
According to The Wall Street Journal on February 26 (local time), OpenAI granted approximately 4,000 employees an average of $1.5 million in stock compensation last year—the highest employee stock compensation in big tech history.
The stock compensation-to-revenue ratio reached 46%, far exceeding pre-IPO levels at Palantir (32.6%), Alphabet (14.6%), and Meta (5.9%).
The Journal reported that OpenAI's stock compensation is approximately 34 times higher than the average for major tech companies that went public over the past 25 years.
The reason for such extraordinary compensation is singular: the AI talent war.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly offered compensation packages worth up to $1 billion to recruit AI researchers. More than 20 OpenAI employees, including a researcher who co-developed ChatGPT, have moved to Meta.
To stem this talent exodus, OpenAI has relaxed its stock compensation vesting conditions. Market analysts project OpenAI's compensation expenses will increase by $3 billion annually through 2030.