On Thursday, Canva launched two new artificial intelligence (AI) features designed to enhance its visual communications platform. These backend functionalities will not be directly observable by users but are set to significantly streamline integration capabilities across the platform. The first feature is Canva’s deep research connector for ChatGPT, which enables OpenAI’s chatbot to respond to inquiries related to users’ Canva projects. The second feature offers an open Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, allowing AI assistants and chatbots to interact with Canva to execute various tasks.
Canva Enhances Platform with New AI Integrations
In a recent press release, Canva highlighted these two advancements, positioning itself as the first design platform to integrate directly with ChatGPT. The deep research connector allows the OpenAI chatbot to access Canva files and projects, responding to user queries more effectively.
According to Canva, this functionality will help users avoid the inconvenience of toggling between different applications and manually transferring their designs to ChatGPT for feedback. It’s important to note that this feature operates only when the chatbot’s Deep Research mode is enabled.
Moreover, with the connection established, ChatGPT can comprehend the context of user inquiries. For example, a user might request a summary of their Q1 campaign strategy, prompting the chatbot to scour the user’s Canva files and deliver an appropriate summary. This feature is accessible to all ChatGPT users regardless of their subscription status, as Deep Research is available across different tiers.
Additionally, the newly introduced open MCP server allows third-party chatbots to connect seamlessly with Canva’s platform. Developed by Anthropic, the MCP offers a standardized method for AI systems to link with external data sources. Through this server, users can create design projects and presentations, resize files, and manage assets—all while interacting with their preferred AI chatbot.
For instance, a user could instruct Gemini to “Generate a pitch deck based on this chat,” and Google’s chatbot would then create a new Canva presentation within the chat interface. While the MCP server was introduced this week, Canva indicated that integrations with Claude, ChatGPT, Salesforce, and others will be rolled out soon, although no specific timeline has been announced.
