Adobe Acrobat now lets you edit files using prompts, generate podcast summaries

Adobe has been steadily weaving artificial intelligence into its product lineup over the past few years, and it is now extending those capabilities further within Adobe Acrobat. The latest updates introduce several new AI-powered features, including tools that generate podcast-style summaries of documents, help users build presentations, and allow files to be edited using natural-language prompts.

Last year, Adobe introduced Adobe Spaces, a collaborative environment where multiple users can store and access collections of files and notes. With this update, the company is enabling users to draw directly from the information housed in those Spaces to create presentations through simple text-based prompts.

For example, if a Space contains financial data, product roadmaps, and competitor research, a user can instruct Acrobat to generate a client-facing pitch deck that highlights how their product addresses market challenges more effectively than competing offerings.

Acrobat’s AI assistant begins by generating a fully editable presentation outline that outlines the key points the deck should cover. From there, users can turn to Adobe Express to style the presentation, choosing from its theme library, stock imagery, or uploading their own visuals. Users can also quickly apply existing brand themes or fine-tune individual slides directly within Express.

Other platforms, such as Canva and NotebookLM, already provide tools that convert documents into presentations. In addition, a growing number of startups are experimenting with AI-driven presentation creation by pulling content from multiple data sources.

Adobe is also expanding Acrobat’s capabilities by allowing users to generate podcast-style audio summaries of individual files or entire Spaces. Similar functionality is already available through tools like Google’s NotebookLM, Speechify, and ElevenLabs Reader, which let users create customised audio content from documents and notes.

Another significant addition is prompt-based file editing within Acrobat. Adobe said users will be able to perform up to 12 different actions using natural language, including deleting pages, text, comments, or images; searching for and replacing specific words or phrases; and adding elements such as e-signatures or password protection.

While Acrobat already supported collaboration through Spaces, shared files will now include AI-generated summaries that feature citations linking back to precise locations within the document. Collaborators will be able to leave comments and add or remove content as needed.

In addition, users can interact with Acrobat’s default AI assistant or choose from alternative assistant personas, such as “analyst,” “entertainer,” or “instructor.” Adobe is also giving users the option to define their own custom assistant behaviour by writing a prompt that sets the assistant’s role and tone.