Canva launches its own AI design model and makes Affinity free

Canva has introduced its own artificial intelligence model, trained on the platform’s vast library of design elements. Unlike diffusion models that generate flat images, Canva’s model creates fully editable designs with layers and objects, supporting multiple formats — from social media posts and presentations to websites and interactive boards.

The new system allows users to start a project with a short text prompt and instantly modify colors, layouts, or individual objects. This makes it easier for designers to move quickly from concept to finished design. According to Robert Kawalsky, Canva’s Global Head of Product, users don’t just want to prompt their way to a result — they want to refine and iterate visually.

An updated Canva AI assistant is now available across all parts of the editor. It can be called via @Canva in comments to suggest text or visual elements during collaboration. The assistant can also generate 3D objects and replicate the artistic style of any existing design.

Canva continues to expand its product ecosystem by combining its spreadsheets and app-building tools, enabling users to turn data into interactive visualization widgets. Following the integration of its acquired analytics platform MagicBrief, the company also launched Canva Grow — an all-in-one marketing platform that uses AI to generate campaign assets, analyze performance, and publish ads directly to social platforms.

Among the new features are a form builder for collecting responses, a tool for creating email templates, and the ability to send campaigns directly from Canva.

The most notable announcement: Canva has made the professional Affinity suite free forever. The company is integrating Affinity more deeply with its own platform, merging vector, pixel, and layout tools into a single environment. Designers can now create assets in Affinity, import them into Canva, and enhance them using Canva AI’s generative capabilities within professional design tools.