A few days ago,Canva has introduced a host of new AI features, most notably its new image generation tool -- "Dream Lab”.
The tool, which leverages Leonardo's Phoenix model (not to be confused with Adobe's Firefly AI), came out of Canva's acquisition of generative AI startup Leonardo.ai.Users can now generate various styles of images with descriptions such as "3D Render" and "Illustration".
Previously, Canva already had an AI image generator based on Stable Diffusion and support for several third-party apps. But this Dream Lab brings a lot of improvements, especially in photographic styles and multi-subject image generation.
Moreover, it has a new feature that allows the user to refer to an existing image for better control of the generated result, similar to Photoshop's Reference Image tool.
In addition to Dream Lab, Canva's "Magic" suite of AI tools has been updated. For example, the Magic Write text generation feature has improved accuracy and now automates text with a single click. Additionally, whiteboards now support AI-driven summarization features for teams to use in collaborative projects. What's more, new features have been added to the video editing tools to automatically generate subtitles and introduce new animation effects.
To help users better visualize their data, Canva also allows users to add interactive charts and graphs to their presentations. In addition, Canva's resource library has been expanded to include copyright-free music and movie-quality videos from the Artlist music platform.
One minor regret, however, is that Canva announced last month that it would be raising subscription prices for some of its business customers to reflect the value delivered by the "extended product experience" and generative AI tools. While the Leonardo.AI acquisition may be included in the investment plan, subscribers may balk at paying higher fees for these incremental improvements rather than gaining access to brand new generative AI capabilities.