Canvas AI Tools Overview

Here is an overview of the AI tools available in Canvas. These tools are developed by Instructure for the Canvas LMS. Please note that many of these tools are still under development and may incur additional costs.  

Feature	Summary	Availability	Cost/Fee	Notes
IgniteAI	IgniteAI is Instructure’s education-first AI offering, built directly into Canvas. It’s designed to help educators save time, surface insights, and personalise instruction without giving up control.   This isn’t a chatbot added to the side of a platform. Instead, IgniteAI is a coordinated ecosystem of AI-powered features and trusted partner integrations surfaced exactly where educators need assistance. It helps institutions streamline workflows, improve teaching and learning experiences, and manage AI use with confidence.	Available November 3	Free Demo	Blog Post: Introducing IgniteAI
Smart Search	Smart Search is a feature of Canvas that is currently in development.  Leveraging semantic algorithms and AI, the new Smart Search feature understands the context of queries, providing more accurate and relevant results without the need for traditional boolean operators or other search tools.   This approach is an improvement over traditional keyword-based searches, and will enable users to swiftly and efficiently navigate the vast array of educational resources available on Canvas.	Available Now	Free	Available but off by default in Canvas courses. To enable for a course: go to Settings > Feature Options > Discussion Summary and click Enabled. AI Nutrition Facts: Canvas Smart Search
Discussion Summaries	Discussion Summarization uses a Generative AI model to provide instructors summaries of key points, questions, and ideas in a discussion thread.   This feature is designed to save educators time and to allow discussions to be used effectively in large-format classes and other environments where they were previously infeasible.	Available Now	Free	Available but off by default in Canvas courses.   AI Nutrition Facts: Canvas Discussion Summaries
Inbox and Discussion Translation	When the Course AI Translation feature option is enabled, instructors and students can use AI-supported translations to translate text with Discussions and Announcements.	Not Available/Delayed	Free	Discussions AI Translation [Delayed as of 2024-12-17] AI Nutrition Facts: Canvas Inbox Translations   AI Nutrition Facts: Canvas Course Translations