Inspiring

Answered

Ai Updates Required-What to do?

Forum|Forum|1 month ago
April 23, 2026
7 replies
768 views

I just updated Lightroom Classic and I just finished an edit. As I try to export I’m getting a dialog warning that AI Updates Required. What the heck is that all about? What am I supposed to do? I just edited the photos, and they are exactly as I want them. I don’t want anything “updating” or changing what I just spent hours editing. This is lunacy. Why am I getting this and what to do about it? Do I need to update to keep my photos as they are? Or will updating change them into something different, ruining the batch? This is terrible.

Correct answer jrsforums

@shayb68441784

I’m sure you know the order of operations, but , if you’re like me, don’t have them memorized

doing something higher in the order, after having done things lower, will often need the processes to be redone, which is why I chose Adaptive Color (10) then Denoise (2)

can’t tell you why you would get the message you got without having the warning on the individual image. My first guess is you’d only need one to prompt it. If it’s a glitch in you system/process only trial or Adobe can answer.

EarthNShade

Participant

I’ve been getting this too, photos are not downloading 😥

D

Dave Eagle

Inspiring

Cant help with the ‘Not Down Loading’, but after more research, it seems that even using the standard ‘Replace’ functionality, i.e., not the AI driven Replace, you need to be working on the latest process version. If not the AI change update icon will be greyed out.

It would be nice if this was made evident when you click on the icon, but as I mentioned below, this seems to be a bit of a bug.

D

Dave Eagle

Inspiring

Seems to me Adobe have a bug here. I am getting a grey icon to show AI updates need refreshing, but I don’t believe I have made any AI changes. Irrespective of that, wouldn't it be simpler to just select the warning icon, right click and update? I cant get the Alt+Cmd+U to work on these cases, and have only managed to export images by selecting grid view and then Photo>Develop Settings>Update AI… On top of that to insist that there is an order to these changes and that Removes should be done at the start of the work flow, thats all well and good, I don’t suppose anyone at Adobe ever misses a distraction the they want to remove just as they get to finishing the image….

This is broken……….

Glenxxxxxxxxxxx

Participant

I fixed it by closing the app and relaunching it while holding the “command” “option” “shift” all at the same time. Then select “ allow new upgrades” or something like that. This is what tech support told me to do and it worked! Hope this helps!

G

GRPImagery

Known Participant

Similar issue, except in my case, I am trying to export photos, and this “error” pops up randomly, making it impossible to export a large number of files - very frustrating.

I have rolled back from v15.3 to v15.2.1. This appears to have resolved the issue for me.

M

Miraflor98

Participating Frequently

thanks for this thread. I kept getting the message and had no idea what was going on. guess this is what I get for updating Lightroom Classic LOL

JohanElzenga

Community Expert

The warning comes from your Generative Removes. That is what the ‘variations’ refer to. This sounds like you may have a known problem with the storage of AI related data. Lightroom Classic stores AI masks and other AI data in 'Catalogname.lrcat-data'. Sometimes this file (Mac)/folder (Windows) gets corrupted, or the permissions are getting set wrongly, so Lightroom Classic cannot write to it. That would explain what you are seeing. Take the following steps:

1: Review this document: https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/kb/ai-edits-storage-error.html to make sure you are not affected by the items listed there.
2: Contact Adobe Support as they have an lrcat-data recovery tool that can fix your corrupt file. Contact Adobe Customer Care at https://helpx.adobe.com/contact/what-contact-options.html. Scroll to the bottom and click on the “Start Now” live chat link in the lower right of this page. Typing “Agent” into the chat text field will bypass the initial chatbot.

-- Johan W. Elzenga

J

jrsforums

Inspiring

John, I get the same message as the OP posted if I export and image with the orange/yellow icon for AI update needed….and I do not have a storage problem…just an image needing AI update. or are you just referring to when it happens with Generative Removes?

J

jrsforums

Inspiring

Ooops…meant Johan (sorry)

J

jrsforums

Inspiring

Well, first, you should have updated the AI settings when the orange/yellow icon came on to show it was needed. Since you didn’t, Adobe is letting you know it should be done. I find it is better to do it. If you are REALLY happy with what you have, you can uncheck the box and the files will export as is….or you can cancel and update the images before export so you can review changes…..no lunacy at all

S

shayb68441784Author

Inspiring

Thanks but...There are zero “orange/yellow” icons and I cannot remember ever seeing one in the past. I use LRc nearly every day and have for years, this is the first time seeing anything like this and I just updated a couple of days ago.