Instructure and OpenAI have announced a new partnership to bring LLM-powered AI technology into Canvas, one of the most widely used learning platforms in education.
Instructure and OpenAI have announced a new partnership to bring LLM-powered AI technology into Canvas, one of the most widely used learning platforms in education. The collaboration introduces IgniteAI, a built-in set of generative AI tools that will be released to Canvas users in stages over the coming year.Where AI is Adding Value in Canvas
A key piece of the IgniteAI rollout is a new assignment builder that lets educators create AI-guided tasks. Teachers can write learning goals and sample prompts, set up how the chatbot will interact with students, and define how outcomes should be evaluated. At the same time, Canvas’s grading system, analytics tools, and content creation features get new automation support, from faster feedback to AI-generated rubrics.
Teachers stay in full control of how the AI behaves. They can customize each prompt and review all chatbot responses. Meanwhile, students get a chance to have focused conversations with the AI inside Canvas, working through ideas at their own pace. All chats are visible to the instructor, and the company says student data stays local and is not shared with OpenAI.
The system also tracks each student’s interaction. When learners show understanding or make progress, those moments are captured and added to the Gradebook. That lets teachers see not just the end result, but how a student arrived there.
