# “Software is over”: Bold AI developer takes aim at Adobe with open source clones > Source: > Published: 2026-10-07 21:56:42+00:00 For a while, those hoping to [avoid the difficulty and expense of dealing with Adobe’s Creative Suite](https://arstechnica.com/civis/threads/is-adobe-really-this-bad.1471693/) have been able to use [several free and/or open-source alternatives](https://github.com/KenneyNL/Adobe-Alternatives) that replicate some or all of those capabilities. Now, one developer is using AI-powered reverse engineering to mimic the look, feel, and functionality of Adobe’s well-known software with what he hopes will soon be perfect fidelity. [Artcraft](https://github.com/storytold/artcraft) got its start [last year](https://web.archive.org/web/20250315000000*/https://getartcraft.com/) as a “controllable AI for artists” that allows for precise post-generation editing of AI-crafted images and videos. Over the weekend, though, the brand [debuted its pivot](https://web.archive.org/web/20261003233252/https://getartcraft.com/) to [a suite of seven open source apps](https://getartcraft.com/apps) recreating the user interface and tools found in Adobe’s Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, Lightroom, After Effects, InDesign, and Acrobat Pro. In [announcing those new apps on Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/SaaS/comments/1wwnhbt/ive_created_open_source_100_rust_cleanroom/) earlier this week, [software developer Brandon Thomas](https://www.linkedin.com/in/possibilistic/) said he used Anthropic’s Claude Opus 5.5 to create “clean-room replacements” for Adobe’s closed source software in Rust (with WebAssembly versions available for use in a browser). And while commenters [on Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49960138) and [elsewhere](https://bsky.app/profile/chinnyvision.bsky.social/post/3mxcfhzfgpc2c) have [taken pains](https://bsky.app/profile/whatabouttheken.bsky.social/post/3mxcc3ey72c2f) to point out the new software’s many current shortcomings, Thomas make the grandiose promise that [the current “super early alpha” state](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49959605) will soon lead to something just as functional as anything Adobe has ever put out. “We’re going to reach 100% [feature] parity within a month,” Thomas [stated on Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/SaaS/comments/1wwnhbt/ive_created_open_source_100_rust_cleanroom/) of his plans to quickly squash bugs and add features with the help of community reports. Days later, [on Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49958850#49961661), he amended that position slightly to say that “99% parity will take a while, but I’m sure it’ll be measured in months and not years.”