Figma Quietly Became a Photoshop Replacement | Austin's AI Newsletter

Hey friends,
Austin here.

This was one of those weeks where if you looked away for five minutes, your entire creative stack changed.

Figma quietly turned into a Photoshop replacement.
Instagram finally loosened its grip on the algorithm.
And AI voice tools crossed into full Hollywood territory.

This is not slow evolution anymore.
This is workflows getting replaced overnight.

Let’s get into it.

In This Week’s Issue

• Breaking News: Figma just replaced half your design tools

• AI Search Summit: Learn how creators are winning inside Google and Gemini

• This Week in AI: More control, global voices, and editing without apps

• Top AI Tools: The stack that actually saves time

• Meme of the Week

Breaking News: Figma Just Went Full Cleanup Mode

Figma just shipped one of the most creator-friendly updates we have seen in a long time.

AI-powered object removal and image expansion now live inside the canvas.

Translation?
No more exporting assets just to erase something small.
No more jumping between apps to stretch a background or clean a thumbnail.

Here is what changed:

• One-click object removal for people, products, clutter, shadows
• Image extension that turns square visuals into banners naturally
• Full editing without leaving Figma

Figma is no longer just a design tool. It is creeping straight into Adobe’s territory.

If you make thumbnails, ads, or social graphics, this update alone can save hours every week.

Free AI Search Summit with Syllaby and SearchAtlas

If you want your content to actually get found, this is worth your time.

Syllaby and SearchAtlas are hosting a free five-day live AI Search Summit focused on how creators win inside modern search.

You will learn how to:

✔️ Structure content for Google and Gemini
✔️ Turn ideas into search-ready content fast
✔️ Use AI tools to build traffic that compounds

It is live, practical, and completely free.

This Week in AI: More Control, Better Voices, Less App Switching

1. Instagram Gives You the Keys to Your Reels Feed

Instagram quietly rolled out a new tool that shows exactly what topics are influencing your Reels feed.

You can now boost what you want and remove what you do not.

This gives creators clearer feedback on what audiences actually engage with and less guessing about the algorithm.

👉 Read More

2. Dapple — Manage Creative Submissions Without Losing Your Mind

If you run contests, calls for entries, or brand collaborations, Dapple cleans up the chaos.

Everything from submissions to reviews and approvals now lives in one dashboard.

No more spreadsheets.
No more missed emails.

👉 Try Dapple

3.  Editing Just Got Lazy — Chat + Action, Thanks to Adobe in GPTs

The creative stack keeps shrinking. Now with Adobe tools — Photoshop Express, Adobe Express and Acrobat — integrated into ChatGPT, you can edit photos, designs or PDFs just by typing commands. 

Need a thumbnail background blur? Done. PDF compressed and ready to email? Easy.

You no longer need a design computer for “pro level” output — just a chat window and ideas. For creators and small teams, this means fast turnaround without switching apps.

Test it now: open ChatGPT, ask for an edit, and see how smooth creation just became.

👉 Read More

Top AI Tools: The Stack That Actually Saves Time

1. Ranked AI 
   If your content is not ranking, it might as well not exist.
   
   Ranked AI automates SEO workflows so creators can focus on creating, not chasing rankings.

   👉 Explore Ranked AI

2. FastPhoto

   FastPhoto generates hyper-real, copyright-free visuals that stop the scroll.
   

   Great for ads, thumbnails, and branded posts.
   

   👉 Create with FastPhoto

3. GoHighLevel
   If your business runs on too many tools, this replaces most of them.
   
   Funnels, CRM, email, SMS, scheduling, automations. All in one place.

   
   👉 Try GoHighLevel

Introducing the first AI-native CRM

Connect your email, and you’ll instantly get a CRM with enriched customer insights and a platform that grows with your business.

With AI at the core, Attio lets you:

• Prospect and route leads with research agents

• Get real-time insights during customer calls

• Build powerful automations for your complex workflows

Join industry leaders like Granola, Taskrabbit, Flatfile and more.

👉Try Attio Pro for free

Meme of the Week - AI Is Powerful… Until You Unplug It 😅

AI running your life, your workflow, your playlists, your emails… and now just casually living on every device you own:

This week was a good reminder of how fast the creator stack is changing.

Design tools are folding into one place.
AI is replacing entire steps, not just speeding them up.
And the creators who are paying attention are the ones getting ahead.

I am curious what stood out to you most this week.
Was it the Figma update, AI video getting more cinematic, or the shift happening in search?

Hit reply and tell me. I read every response and it helps shape what I share next.

Talk soon,
Austin Armstrong, CEO
Syllaby, Inc.

PS: If you want me to break down one tool or update from today’s issue step by step, reply and tell me which one. I will cover the most requested next week.