Canva’s latest AI tool has sparked controversy after it was discovered to be swapping the word “Palestine” with “Ukraine” in design texts. The feature in question, Magic Layers, is engineered to transform flat images into separate, editable components without altering the original content. However, user @ros_ie9 on X reported that the phrase “cats for Palestine” was unexpectedly changed to “cats for Ukraine.”

The glitch appeared to specifically target the term “Palestine,” as other related words, such as “Gaza,” were not affected. In response, Canva has addressed the problem and is implementing measures to ensure it doesn’t recur.

“We were promptly alerted to an issue with our Magic Layers feature and acted swiftly to investigate and resolve it,” Louisa Green, a spokesperson for Canva, explained to The Verge. “We treat such reports with utmost seriousness, and we are introducing additional safeguards to prevent future occurrences. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.”

Comments to the viral post on X indicated that some users managed to replicate the issue before Canva issued its fix. However, my own attempts to recreate the error did not result in any changes to words like “Palestine.”

Despite being rectified, this incident is a significant misstep for Canva, which is positioning itself as a competitor to Adobe’s AI-driven design tools. Magic Layers is a cornerstone of Canva’s recent AI initiative, described as heralding “the beginning of the next era of creation.”