Applications
Adobe cranks up the AI: Premiere Pro gets an upgrade
MUMBAI: Adobe has unleashed a game-changing update to Premiere Pro, turbocharging the edit suite with AI-powered features designed to make video professionals faster and more efficient.
The headline act? Generative Extend, powered by Adobe’s Firefly Video Model. This AI wizard can now seamlessly stretch clips in 4K and vertical formats, filling gaps in footage with eerily natural-looking extensions. Just click and drag, and—voila!—extra frames appear as if they were always there. Need an ambient sound to last longer? No problem, the AI stretches audio too.
Next up is Media Intelligence, a search tool on steroids. Sifting through terabytes of footage is now a thing of the past. The AI scans metadata, objects, locations, and even camera angles, serving up the perfect clip in seconds.
Adobe has also thrown in AI-powered caption translation, which automatically localises subtitles in 27 languages—ideal for creators reaching global audiences. Meanwhile, Premiere Color Management takes raw and log footage and instantly optimises it for HDR and SDR, no fiddling required.
“We’re thrilled to see how filmmakers use Generative Extend and Media Intelligence to craft compelling stories,” said Adobe senior vice president and general manager, digital media Ashley Still. “These tools remove tedious tasks and let editors focus on creativity.”
After Effects is getting a high-performance preview engine, new 3D motion design tools, and HDR monitoring, making it easier than ever to create jaw-dropping visuals. Meanwhile, Frame.io V4 is rolling out expanded storage, transcription tools, and enterprise-level security upgrades, keeping creative teams organised and secure.
Adobe’s video tools have already played a starring role in this year’s biggest films. Oscar-winning flick Anora—which bagged best picture, best film editing, and best director—was cut with Premiere Pro, along with Dune: Part Two and The Substance. TV series like The Jinx – Part Two and John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A. also relied on Adobe’s Creative Cloud.
Director and editor Sean Baker, who crafted Anora, said Premiere Pro let him experiment freely while staying true to his vision. “It’s my go-to tool for everything from quick edits to complex sequences.”
The new features in Premiere Pro and After Effects are available from today. Adobe is offering free Generative Extend generations for a limited time, while new Frame.io tools—including transcription and access groups—are rolling out in beta. The full suite will be on show at the NAB Show 2025 in Las Vegas, April 6–9, at Booth SL2210.
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
