Teachers Get A New Assistant: Instructure Drops AI Into Canvas

Forbes

24-07-2025

AI 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. Repetitive tasks such as rewriting rubrics, responding to common requests and drafting feedback are handled by the system, allowing instructors to focus on discussion, coaching, and more complex teaching.
"We're committed to delivering next-generation LMS technologies designed with an open ecosystem that empowers educators and learners to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world," said Steve Daly, CEO of Instructure. "This collaboration with OpenAI showcases our ambitious vision: creating a future-ready ecosystem that fosters meaningful learning and achievement at every stage of education.'
Opportunities and Tradeoffs
Daly says this partnership will free up time for educators and give students a more flexible way to engage with lessons. Leah Belsky, who oversees education strategy at OpenAI, describes the tools as a way to offer 'more personalized and connected learning experiences,' without removing human oversight.
Schools are already moving quickly. Surveys show education leading all sectors in generative-AI adoption. Early feedback from pilots suggests students feel more confident when they can test ideas in a private chat, and some classroom studies point to modest gains in test scores among students using AI for practice.
Still, the tools raise concerns. Nearly half of faculty respondents in recent polls say they worry about bias in model outputs. A similar number cite data privacy as a top issue. Those who work on academic integrity expect new forms of cheating to emerge. Others warn that expensive AI licenses could deepen gaps between well-funded and under-resourced schools. And until teachers are fully trained on how to use the tools, confusion and uneven results are likely.
A university survey from May 2025 confirmed many of these fears among students. Respondents cited grading fairness, misuse of AI for shortcuts, and the risk of over-relying on automated suggestions as top concerns. Faculty echoed those points. They questioned whether AI nudges weaker writers toward overly similar phrasing and whether automated grading could undermine trust.
To reduce those risks, campuses are already setting up review boards, bias checks, and clear opt-out options. Instructure, for its part, says that all student data stays within the institution, and that OpenAI has no access to individual records. Privacy teams are expected to monitor that closely.
Where This Leads
Canvas is now placing AI tools where teaching already happens—in assignments, discussions, and grading workflows. The chatbot becomes part of the lesson, not just an external add-on. If the systems work as intended, teachers could gain clearer feedback and students could move beyond generic answers into more thoughtful, process-based work.
If the technology fails to live up to that promise, trust may erode. Either way, AI is no longer sitting outside the classroom door. It's embedded, logged, and learning alongside everyone else.