OpenAI introduces 'Canvas' within ChatGPT: What is it and how it works

OpenAI is currently rolling out Canvas to ChatGPT Plus and Team subscribers in beta. Once the feature has completed the testing cycle, it will also be available for free users

Artificial intelligence startup OpenAI has introduced a new workspace interface, called Canvas, for its artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT. This interface opens in a separate section beside the main conversation, allowing users to highlight sections or ask ChatGPT to focus on specific tasks while assisting with writing or coding.

OpenAI is currently rolling out Canvas to ChatGPT Plus and Team subscribers in beta. Enterprise and education users will gain access to it next week. The company stated that Canvas is built on its GPT-4o model and can be manually selected in the model picker section during the beta testing phase. Once testing is complete, the feature will also be available for free users.

ChatGPT Canvas: What is it and how it works

OpenAI said that within the Canvas interface, users can highlight specific sections to indicate precisely what they want ChatGPT to focus on. In this interface, ChatGPT will act as a copy editor or code reviewer, offering inline feedback and suggestions while considering the entire project context.

Users can also request ChatGPT to perform quick actions on Canvas, which will then reflect on the main project. A menu of shortcuts is available, offering options such as “Suggest edits,” “Adjust length,” and “Change reading level” for writing, and “Review code,” “Add logs,” “Add comments,” and “Fix bugs” for coding. Coders can also ask ChatGPT to convert code into another language such as JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, C++, or PHP from the Canvas interface.

The company stated that for the new Canvas interface, it has trained its GPT-4o model to act as a creative partner. This interface allows for a broader understanding of context, enabling the model to offer feedback and suggestions. Additionally, it features enhanced situational awareness to determine when to make targeted edits and when to fully rewrite responses.

OpenAI noted that Canvas opens automatically when “ChatGPT detects a scenario in which it could be helpful,” or it can be opened manually by prompting ChatGPT in the main section.