# Software is over

> AI developer creates open source clones of Adobe software.
- Title: Software is over · Ars Technica | Shortify
- Summary: AI developer creates open source clones of Adobe software. Brandon Thomas uses AI to build free open source alternatives to Adobe's Creative Suite apps…
- Keywords: artcraft, adobe, creative suite, open source, rust, webassembly, technology, news, Software, Ars Technica
- Source: Ars Technica — https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/10/software-is-over-bold-ai-developer-takes-aim-at-adobe-with-open-source-clones
- Published: 2026-10-07T21:56:42+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: artcraft, adobe, creative suite, open source, ai, rust, webassembly, technology, news
## Artcraft launches open source Adobe clones
Software developer Brandon Thomas released seven open source apps mimicking Adobe's Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, Lightroom, After Effects, InDesign, and Acrobat Pro.

> We’re going to reach 100% [feature] parity within a month
## AI-powered reverse engineering
Thomas used Anthropic’s Claude Opus 5.5 to create clean-room replacements for Adobe’s closed source software in Rust with WebAssembly versions for browsers.

> We have a team building popular software for filmmakers, so supporting this is fully funded
## 99% feature parity target
Thomas stated he aims for 99% feature parity with Adobe’s software within months, not years, after amending his initial promise of 100% parity within a month.

> 99% parity will take a while, but I’m sure it’ll be measured in months and not years
## Funding through token access
Artcraft will fund its free open source apps by selling token-based access to its visual AI model and IDE, which is offered as an imagery-generation option inside the apps.

> We have a team building popular software for filmmakers, so supporting this is fully funded
## Legal concerns over trade dress
The Artcraft apps could face legal trouble if their "trade dress" too closely mimics Adobe’s familiar appearance and interface.

> trade dress
## Software is over
Thomas claims he has "one-shotted Photoshop" and predicts AI will enable everyday developers to create open source versions of popular paid software to "take back the internet and own tech forever."

> Software is over
## Key takeaway

Brandon Thomas uses AI to build free open source alternatives to Adobe's Creative Suite apps, promising 100% feature parity within a month.