Canva unveils its AI design model

Canva has taken a major step forward in Artificial Intelligence and design innovation with the launch of its own foundational design model. Unlike standard image-generation tools that produce static visuals, this model understands design layers and formats, enabling it to generate editable, multi-layered designs that can be easily customised. This is a major shift from earlier diffusion-based systems that only created flat images.

The new model works seamlessly across various formats, including social media posts, presentations, whiteboards, and websites, offering users both the convenience of AI-powered creation and the flexibility to manually refine their designs.

To further enhance this experience, Canva has expanded its AI assistant, Canva AI, across the entire platform. The assistant now appears throughout the design interface, offering real-time support for generating visual content from text prompts. Users can even tag the assistant using @mentions in comments to receive instant text or media suggestions while collaborating on projects.

Beyond text-to-image generation, the model can now create 3D objects and replicate the art style of any design, making it an even more powerful tool for creators and teams.

Another major development is the integration of its spreadsheet and app-building tools. This update allows users to connect spreadsheet data with custom-built mini applications, enabling the creation of interactive data visualisation widgets directly within Canva.

In the marketing space, Canva has introduced Canva Grow, an AI-powered, end-to-end marketing platform; the aim is to become a one-stop solution for marketing design and strategy.

The company is also expanding beyond visuals with new tools such as Canva Forms. Following its acquisition of the professional design suite Affinity in 2024, Canva announced that all Affinity tools will now be free forever. With these innovations, Canva is positioning itself not just as a design tool but as a complete, intelligent creative ecosystem for individuals, teams, and enterprises alike.