Canva introduces AI that creates designs and understands like a human

Canva has launched a new AI model that can understand, create, and enhance designs across formats.

Canva has introduced a new AI model that can both understand and create designs, marking a major expansion of its design platform. The Australian-based company announced the development on October 30, along with several product upgrades and new integrations aimed at enhancing the design process.

Canva has introduced a new AI model that can understand and create designs. (Canva)

By MD Ijaj Khan

Ijaj Khan is a technology journalist and Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, with over three years of experience covering the consumer technology industry. His work spans smartphones, laptops, wearables, gaming, appliances and AI - from hands-on reviews, comparison and buying guides to breaking news and in-depth features that help readers cut through the noise and make informed decisions. Before joining HT Tech, he worked with Jagran New Media, where he sharpened his instincts for fast-paced digital reporting. He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in English Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi. Whether he's testing the latest flagship smartphone, tracking a major AI announcement, or putting a gaming laptop through its paces, Ijaj approaches every story with the same goal - making technology feel relevant and easy to understand for everyday users, not just enthusiasts. When he's not in front of a screen for work, he's usually travelling to a new city, hunting for great food, or keeping tabs on what's next in tech before everyone else catches on.

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AI Model for Editable and Multi-Format Designs

The new AI model is trained on Canva’s extensive library of design elements and can generate editable designs rather than flat images. It supports various formats, including presentations, social media graphics, whiteboards, and websites. This advancement allows users to work more flexibly across different visual formats while maintaining full control over each design layer and object.

Canva also expanded its AI assistant, known as Canva AI, which was launched earlier this year. The assistant, which converts text prompts into visual content, is now available throughout the platform. Users can tag the AI in comments for real-time suggestions and use it to generate text, visuals, or media within collaborative projects. It can now produce 3D objects and replicate the artistic style of any design available on the platform.

In addition, Canva has introduced a spreadsheet feature connected to its app-building tool. This integration allows users to transform data from spreadsheets into visual widgets for reports and dashboards. The feature aims to make data visualisation more seamless for creators working with both design and analytics.

The company’s recent acquisition of the ad analytics firm MagicBrief has led to the launch of Canva Grow, a marketing platform that combines asset creation with performance measurement. Canva Grow enables marketers to design, analyse, and publish advertisements directly to social media platforms like Meta, streamlining campaign management in one interface.

New Platform Features and Affinity Integration

Canva also announced new platform features, including a form builder for client or audience responses and an email design tool for creating branded marketing or transactional templates.

Following its acquisition of the Affinity design suite last year, Canva confirmed that Affinity will now be free for all users. The company is also merging vector, pixel, and layout tools under one interface and integrating Affinity with Canva AI. This update allows designers to create professional-quality assets in Affinity and import them directly into Canva for further editing.