darktable 5.6 brings optional AI, neural restore, AI object mask tool, and HEIF export

darktable 5.6 has been released as the latest version of this open source photography workflow application and raw developer, bringing significant advancements. The update introduces an optional artificial intelligence subsystem, allowing users to enable advanced editing features at runtime without restarting. AI models are managed in the dedicated preferences tab and downloaded from configurable repositories, streamlining setup and ongoing management.

Building on these changes, a new AI object mask tool debuts in the darkroom mask manager. This tool enables interactive object segmentation using SAM2.1 or SegNext models, supporting iterative refinement with both foreground and background prompts. Mask generation is GPU-accelerated when available and offers near real-time responsiveness. Linux and Windows users gain access to install scripts that detect NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel GPUs and set up the necessary GPU runtime for accelerated AI features. On macOS and many Windows systems, GPU support is already bundled and automatic.

The update also introduces a neural restore module in the sidebar, covering denoise, raw denoise, and upscaling tasks using ONNX-based models like NIND UNet, RawNIND UtNet2, and RealPLKSR. Extra models are available from the model repository for users who want extended functionality. Alongside these AI improvements, darktable 5.6 adds a color harmonizer module for flexible hue corrections and now supports HEIF export with both lossless and lossy modes. UI & UX improvements, performance boost, and bug fixes complete the release.