Canva has officially confirmed the acquisition of Affinity. The creative tech world just got shaken up. Canva, the platform that started as a simple graphic design tool, has officially evolved into a full-blown AI-powered creative ecosystem. With its new design model, Creative Operating System (OS), and a major rebrand of Affinity, Canva is making its biggest leap yet in challenging Adobe’s dominance.
Canva Launches Its Own AI Design Model
Canva has announced the release of its first in-house design foundation model, a system trained on millions of its design elements and layouts. Unlike basic AI image generators that create flat visuals, Canva’s new model understands design layers, objects, and editable components.
This means users can now generate entire editable designs, not just static images, across formats like:
- Presentations
- Social media posts
- Websites
- Whiteboards
“People want to start with a prompt and get far, but also be able to iterate directly themselves.”
In other words, Canva’s AI doesn’t just create; it collaborates, giving designers the power to tweak, rearrange, and personalize every element.
Canva AI Assistant Gets a Big Upgrade
The company’s AI assistant, which was first introduced earlier this year, has now been deeply integrated throughout the platform.
You can now:
- Tag the AI bot in comments to get real-time design or text suggestions
- Generate 3D objects directly inside your workspace
- Copy the art style of any existing design
Whether you’re co-designing a brand identity or editing a presentation, Canva’s AI works as a creative teammate, seamlessly woven into every tab and workflow.
The “Canva’s Creative Operating System” Explained
In a move that’s already creating buzz, Canva has launched what it calls the “Creative Operating System”, not a literal OS for your computer, but a unified AI workspace that integrates all its tools.
“It’s moved beyond just being an application layer. It’s truly how you can run your entire creative process and workflows.”
Think of it as Canva’s version of Google Workspace, but designed for creativity.
It brings together:
- AI-driven design tools
- Sheets (its spreadsheet system)
- Forms (for surveys and client feedback)
- Video 2.0 editor
- Canva Grow
This integration means marketing teams can design, publish, and measure performance, all without leaving Canva.
Smarter Video & Marketing Tools
Canva has overhauled its Video Editor with a simplified timeline, smart trimming, and AI effects that make editing feel effortless. Even without editing experience, creators can produce social-ready clips in minutes.
Meanwhile, Canva Grow takes AI marketing to the next level. It automatically:
- Designs ads
- Suggests copy variations
- Tracks campaign performance
- Learns from results to optimize future campaigns
And yes, it integrates directly with ad platforms like Meta.
New Email Design & Forms Products
In a clear swipe at Google and Mailchimp, Canva is adding new productivity tools to its platform:
- Canva Forms: Create surveys or feedback forms that sync with your brand design
- Email Design: Build branded marketing or transactional emails right inside Canva
You can even export them to your email marketing tool or send directly from Canva.
Canva Acquires Affinity: Now Free Forever
Canva’s acquisition of Affinity, the professional design suite, was a game-changer in 2024. Now, the company has dropped a bombshell: Affinity is free forever.
The move aims to make professional-grade tools accessible to all, not just designers who can afford Adobe’s subscription model.
The new Affinity integrates tightly with Canva, allowing seamless movement of projects between both platforms. Designers can create vector, pixel, or layout projects in Affinity and import them directly into Canva for collaboration.
Affinity’s Bold New Identity, “Bold.af”
Affinity also got a stunning visual rebrand, now called “Bold.af”, created under Canva’s European creative director, Tom Carey (ex-Wolff Olins and Meta Reality Labs).
The rebrand merges personality and precision, using:
- A lowercase serif ‘a logo
- A playful yet professional tone
- Custom typeface Affinity Serif by Ohno Type
- A tactile color palette (charcoal, graphite, lime green)
The refresh positions Affinity as “the refined sibling” of Canva, creative, intelligent, and artist-focused.
Data + Design + AI: All in One Platform
One of the smartest updates is Canva’s integration between Sheets and App Builder. Users can now take live spreadsheet data and generate interactive widgets or visual dashboards directly in Canva.
It’s a move toward true no-code data visualization, empowering teams to merge creativity with analytics.
Canva Grow: The Future of AI Marketing
Canva’s new Canva Grow platform connects everything, from ad creation to analytics.
Built on top of the new AI design model, it gives marketers end-to-end campaign visibility, replacing fragmented workflows across tools like Figma, Google Ads, and Mailchimp.
Combined with the MagicBrief ad analytics tech (which Canva acquired earlier this year), Canva Grow transforms how marketing teams plan, execute, and analyze campaigns, all from one hub.
The Bigger Picture
With these releases, Canva is clearly going after Adobe’s full ecosystem, design, marketing, video, and data visualization, while making it simpler and more accessible.
By merging consumer simplicity with pro-grade power, Canva is positioning itself as the new creative backbone of AI-driven marketing and design.
It’s not just competing anymore, it’s rewriting the playbook.
Check more technical news here!
Future of Affinity
Canva isn’t just keeping up with AI; it’s setting the pace. By blending intuitive design tools, professional-grade editing, and AI automation, Canva is turning into a creative OS for the modern workplace. The message is clear: AI won’t replace designers; it will make their ideas move faster, smarter, and more powerful than ever.
FAQs
What is Canva’s new AI model?
It’s a design foundation model that understands design layers, making it possible to generate editable projects instead of static images.
What does Canva’s “Creative OS” mean?
It refers to Canva’s unified ecosystem, connecting design, AI, marketing, forms, and data tools under one seamless interface.
Is Affinity really free forever?
Yes. Canva confirmed that its professional design suite, Affinity, will remain free for all users.
How is Canva Grow different from other marketing tools?
Canva Grow uses AI to automate ad creation, track performance, and optimize campaigns within the same design environment.
Who are Canva’s main competitors now?
With this expansion of Canva with Affinity, Canva directly competes with Adobe Creative Cloud, Figma, and Google Workspace , all in one go.