GoKawiilAI 'vibe coding' projects race to clone Photoshop, but brush engines still lag
A growing number of AI-assisted software projects are attempting to recreate Adobe's applications, with one effort reportedly involving over 165 contributors submitting hundreds of pull requests daily using Claude. The author estimates spending on AI API tokens for the largest such project has exceeded $50,000 in two weeks, while noting none of these clones can yet match Photoshop's brush engine performance on large canvases.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The report frames this as a new iteration of an old problem: automated content and product duplication that has previously plagued the web, from AdSense spam sites to pirated software. If AI tools make cloning commercial software cheaper and faster, it could pressure established developers like Adobe, Microsoft, Avid and Autodesk, though the persistent technical gaps described—especially around core features like brush rendering—suggest these clones may not yet pose a functional threat to professional users.
- One vibe-coded Photoshop clone project reportedly has over 165 contributors and rising, submitting hundreds of daily pull requests.
- Estimated AI token spending on the largest clone project exceeds $50,000 over two weeks, according to the author's calculations.
- None of the cloning projects have matched Photoshop's brush engine, which reportedly degrades on canvases larger than 8K x 8K pixels.
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See Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud Subscription on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: shokunin.studio — Shokunin Studio, 2026-10-12
Published there as: “Attack of the Vibe Coded Photoshop Clones”
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