It was a big week for Canva. Its co-founder, Melanie Perkins, once turned down by over 100 investors, is now leading one of the most valuable design platforms in the world, with Canva recently hitting a $49 billion valuation. The company unveiled, at their Canva Create event, a massive AI-powered expansion—think image generation, spreadsheets, bulk content creation and even coding tools—all designed to turn Canva into more than just a design platform and make it easier than ever to create whatever you want with prompts.

The AI & Marketing Report Behind It All

Canva is one of my go-to tools for promo content and social visuals, so I was especially excited to partner with them to share their new AI and Marketing Report—and trust me, it’s one you’ll want to bookmark.

This report doesn’t just recap what’s happening in AI and marketing—it reveals where it’s all going. It’s packed with insights you’ll probably end up referencing in your next deck, presentation, or pitch.

If you're in marketing, content, or the creator world, this is a must-read.

Let’s start with the headline stat:

👉 85% of marketers say AI tools save them over 4 hours a week.
That’s like gaining a bonus half-day—every single week. More time to focus on big-picture strategy, creativity… or just finally getting to inbox zero. (Or let’s be real, taking a walk.)

But here’s what really jumped out at me:

👉 80% said AI is actually making their work more creative.
That’s a shift. For so long, AI’s been pitched as a productivity hack. But now? It’s stepping into the creative arena—not as a replacement, but as a co-creator. People aren’t just using it to work faster… they’re using it to work better.

And yet, there’s still some tension:

👉 72% of marketers worry AI-generated content could start to feel repetitive, bland, or inauthentic.
Honestly, I get it. The internet already feels like it’s drowning in sameness. No one wants their brand voice to blur into the sea of polished-but-empty AI posts.

👉 Only 20% of marketers feel fully confident using AI tools.

Meanwhile, 96% want more upskilling opportunities. So, if you’re already experimenting, testing, and playing around with AI in your process, you’re ahead of the curve. Congrats! 

So yeah, AI is changing the game. But it’s not what will make you indefinitely win that game. Use it as your ally, not your crutch. Let it handle the busy work, spark fresh ideas, and expand your toolkit. But always keep living! Lean into your voice, originality, and weird, brilliant human-ness at the center of what you create.

Plus, lean into the biggest skill we don’t talk about enough– being CURIOUS. 

You can find the full Canva 2025 AI and Marketing Report here.

Other headlines to check out:

In this week’s episode of The AI Download, I’m joined by my longtime friend and creative technologist Taryn Southern for one of the most fun, practical, and mind-expanding convos we’ve had yet.

We get into:

Whether you’re just getting into AI or you’re already building with it, this episode is packed with gems.

🎧 Watch or listen now on all podcast platforms: YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts

This series is brought to you by Hivelighter—helping you cut through the noise and highlight what matters.

Remember: when you're doing something bold, unique, or difficult—something others haven’t done—you’ll get acknowledgment, but you’ll also get pushback. Don’t let that stop you from doing what you know is right. Not everyone will see what you see… and that’s OK.

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With gratitude,