Canva fixes AI bug that changed the word Palestine in designs

In short: Canva says it fixed a bug where its Magic Layers AI tool changed the word “Palestine” in some user designs.

What happened

Canva is a popular design app that people use to make posters, social posts, and presentations. A user on X, @ros_ie9, shared an example showing Canva’s Magic Layers feature changing the phrase “cats for Palestine” to “cats for Ukraine.”

Magic Layers is meant to split a flat image into separate pieces you can edit, like turning a single photo into cut-out layers you can move around (similar to separating a sticker sheet into individual stickers). It is not supposed to change the visible text in a design, but in this case it did.

The reports suggested the problem was limited to the word “Palestine.” The same user said related words, such as “Gaza,” were not changed. Replies to the post said other people could repeat the issue before Canva fixed it, although The Verge reporter said their own tests did not show any words being changed.

Canva spokesperson Louisa Green told The Verge the company investigated and resolved the issue. Canva also said it is adding extra checks to help stop it from happening again, and apologized “for any distress this may have caused.”

Why it matters

Many people use Canva for messages tied to real events and causes. If a tool quietly swaps one word for another, it can change the meaning of a design and potentially create confusion or harm, even if it is just a bug.

Source: The Verge AI