Canva Co-Founder Cameron Adams views AI as a powerful tool to enhance creativity and productivity, seeing it as a positive force rather than a threat to the design industry.
Cameron Adams stated that Canva is implementing various measures to safeguard data privacy while using AI tools.
Among the industries significantly impacted by the rise of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI), graphic design has arguably experienced the most transformative change. The advanced computer vision and image generation capabilities of AI systems have revolutionized the process of designing and editing visual content, logos, and high-resolution artwork, making these tasks more accessible to individuals without technical expertise. However, this shift has also posed challenges for companies like Adobe, Pixlr, and Canva, which provide tools and solutions for digital image creation. These enterprises now face the task of adapting to a landscape where AI-driven design tools are increasingly prevalent.
For the end user, AI image generation has revolutionized the design process, enabling the creation of designs with just a single text prompt. This advancement raises a crucial question: why rely on complex design tools when AI can handle it for you? The search for answers has driven major design companies to embrace AI, leading them to integrate this powerful technology into their products, ensuring they stay relevant in an increasingly AI-driven industry.
But is this strategy truly sustainable, or merely a temporary measure to delay the inevitable? Gadgets 360 interviewed , Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Canva, to delve into the complexities of the design industry, explore how companies are approaching AI, and uncover the broader vision driving these innovations.
Canva’s New Enterprise-Focused Approach
But is this strategy truly sustainable, or merely a temporary measure to delay the inevitable? Gadgets 360 interviewed, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Canva, to delve into the complexities of the design industry, explore how companies are approaching AI, and uncover the broader vision driving these innovations.
User-focused approach and unique differentiation have been key to building a strong community and driving consistent growth. The company reports that it took eight years to reach 100 million monthly active users. Remarkably, in just three more years, added another 90 million users, bringing the total to over 190 million monthly active users by 2024.
In 2024, the community-focused company made a significant shift by deciding to become more enterprise-centric, introducing a new suite of offerings tailored for brands and large enterprises. While this change might seem unexpected, Adams views it as a natural evolution for the company.
“When we first launched Canva, it was primarily geared towards social media and marketing. Over the next decade, we expanded the platform to include presentations, videos, websites, and other tools essential for visual communication,” said Adams. “As we did this, Canva began evolving from a stronghold in small to medium-sized businesses and individual users to becoming a tool they brought into their workplaces.”
This shift—from a platform popular among college students and marketers to one embraced by corporate environments—occurred just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Co-Founder noted that the pandemic accelerated the need for professionals to find new ways to communicate and collaborate, which significantly boosted Canva’s popularity within enterprise circles.
“We witnessed a significant surge in usage. Today, 95 percent of Fortune 500 companies use . Enterprise adoption has really taken off, and our event earlier this year, Canva Create 2024, was centered around this growth,” he added.
Deep Dive Into Canva’s AI Integration
This year, not only revamped its platform but also introduced several AI features, including a text-to-image generator, a presentation generator, and an AI-powered photo editor. While the company has highlighted its AI offerings, the technical details have been less discussed. According to Adams, Canva’s AI tools are powered by three key pillars: an in-house machine learning foundation built by over 100 engineers, partnerships with leading AI firms like OpenAI and Google, and the company’s expanding ecosystem, which includes a developer platform with over 100 apps in the app marketplace. These collaborations and innovations drive the advanced AI capabilities now offers.
Focus on Data Security
With the arrival of enterprise clients, Faces increased scrutiny over data security and privacy. Protects user data from bad actors and ensures it isn’t used for AI training without consent. To safeguard users from legal issues like plagiarism or copyright infringement when using AI-generated content, Introduced “Canva Shield,” offering indemnification for select enterprise clients at no extra cost. Additionally, new privacy settings allow creators to protect their assets. Empowers users with control over their data, enabling them to manage how it’s used with AI, emphasizing transparency and user control.
The Problem of Deepfakes
AI-generated content has sparked concerns about deepfakes—synthetically created media that mimic real people or events to spread misinformation. Although Canva doesn’t intend its tools to be used this way, the company is addressing potential risks by embedding metadata in all AI-generated content to ensure transparency. According to Adams, Canva is also actively exploring new technologies and industry standards to clearly mark AI-generated content and promote transparency.
Can AI Replace Canva?
Canva revolutionized design with its user-friendly tools, but now AI has made image creation even more accessible. Despite concerns that AI could threaten Canva’s market share, Adam believes otherwise. He sees AI as a “tailwind” that enhances Canva’s mission to empower global creativity. As technology evolves, including AI, Canva aims to help more people create high-quality content quickly and efficiently.
