Canva apologizes after AI tool erases ‘Palestine’ from designs
▼ Summary
– Canva’s Magic Layers AI feature was found replacing “Palestine” with “Ukraine” in user designs.
– The issue only affected the word “Palestine”; related terms like “Gaza” were not changed.
– Canva confirmed the bug, apologized, and said it has fixed the feature with additional checks.
– Other users replicated the bug before the fix, though the reporter’s own tests showed no alterations.
– The error is a significant blunder for Canva as it competes with Adobe’s AI design tools.
One of Canva’s latest AI-powered design features has sparked controversy after it was discovered automatically swapping the word “Palestine” for “Ukraine” in user projects. The Magic Layers tool, designed to separate flat images into distinct, editable components, is not supposed to alter text or content visibly. However, X user @ros_ie9 found that typing “cats for Palestine” into a design caused the feature to change the phrase to “cats for Ukraine” without prompting.
The glitch appeared to target the term “Palestine” specifically. The same user noted that related words like “Gaza” remained untouched when processed by the feature. Canva has since confirmed the issue is resolved and is implementing safeguards to avoid a repeat.
“We became aware of an issue with our Magic Layers feature and moved quickly to investigate and fix it,” Canva spokesperson Louisa Green told The Verge. “We take reports like this very seriously, and we’re putting additional checks in place to help prevent this in future. We’re sorry for any distress this may have caused.”
Replies to the viral X post indicate that other users could replicate the bug before Canva’s fix. That said, my own tests did not reveal any words, including “Palestine,” being altered by the feature.
Regardless, this is a significant misstep for a platform aggressively positioning itself as a rival to Adobe’s AI-driven creative suite. Magic Layers is a cornerstone of Canva’s recent AI overhaul, which the company claims “marks the beginning of the next era of creation.” Such a high-profile error risks undermining user trust in the tool’s reliability and neutrality.
(Source: The Verge)
