Since ChatGPT launched in late 2022, people have been using it and other generative AI tools for both writing and coding, to varying degrees of success. OpenAI seems to be banking on its models being capable collaboration tools, as its now introducing “canvas,” a feature that essentially turns ChatGPT into an AI-powered word processor.
Canvas is built on OpenAI’s GPT-4o model. As such, you can choose “ChatGPT 4o with canvas” from the model selector to actively engage the feature. However, OpenAI also built canvas to launch automatically depending on the prompt. If you ask ChatGPT to write a blog post, for example, canvas is supposed to open. (You can also just ask ChatGPT to open canvas for you.) OpenAI says it has also trained the feature to avoid launching when you ask ChatGPT for help with things that likely won’t need such an involved editing process.
When active, canvas opens your query into a new window, displaying your text or code as if in Google Docs or Word. From here, you can continue writing like any other word processor: The idea isn’t to let ChatGPT do all the work, since you can continue writing whatever you want at any time.
Of course, you can pull in ChatGPT for assistance whenever writer’s block strikes. You can highlight individual words, sentences, or paragraphs, and while you have access to formatting options like bold, italics, and heading size, you can also click Ask ChatGPT to inquire about your selection. I typed “hello” at the bottom of my text, highlighted it, and asked ChatGPT if the word was out of place. Rather than give me an answer, ChatGPT simply deleted the word, and said it “removed the word ‘hello’ that seemed out of place.”
When your canvas is set for writing text (as opposed to code), there are five main ChatGPT shortcuts you’ll find in the bottom right corner of the window:
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Add emojis: This option automatically sprinkles emojis throughout your document with “relevant” icons. It’s likely useless, unless you really want to piss off whoever you’re sending this text to.
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Add final polish: ChatGPT will check your text for things like grammar and clarity, and automatically make changes accordingly.
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Change reading level: This option adjusts the reading level of your piece. You can choose from Kindergarten, Middle School, High School, College, and Graduate School. In my experience, Graduate School seems to throw “big” words in at random, like “imperative” and “facilitate,” while I think Kindergarteners would struggle to read what ChatGPT thinks is a piece written at their reading level.
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Adjust the length: You can choose to have ChatGPT make your piece longer or shorter.
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Suggest edits: Choose this, and ChatGPT will go through your piece and highlight portions where it’d make changes. It feels like an editor returning a Google Doc to you with inline notes. You can choose to automatically apply any of these suggestions, or dismiss them. For example, ChatGPT wanted me to remove the emojis it added on two different occasions. I refused.
With canvas, OpenAI is competing somewhat with other generative AI writing tools, perhaps most notably Anthropic’s Artifacts, which lets you move content to a dedicated window. Apple Intelligence also comes to mind, as well, since you can call upon Apple’s AI at any time to help rewrite your text. Of course, it’s also similar to AI assistants in dedicated word processors, like Gemini in Google Docs, or Copilot in Microsoft Word.
Ideally, I could see the feature having some merit. An AI editor could be useful for pointing out places in your text that could be clearer, helping you learn to be a better writing and self-editor. In practice, however, it suffers from the usual issues generative AI text is known for: For example, changing the reading level, especially boosting it up, usually means awkwardly swapping in larger words whenever the bot finds an opportunity. I also found many the editing suggestions a bit useless, or an attempt to take the personality out of the writing. This is still in beta, but as with most AI writing tools, I’ll pass on canvas for my own work.
Canvas is also designed for editing code, as well. I don’t know how to code, so I can’t speak to personal experience, but OpenAI says coding shortcuts include:
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Review code: Similar to Suggest Edits, this option suggests inline edits to your code.
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Add logs: This option adds print statements to help you debug and understand your code.
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Add comments: Inserts comments alongside the code so its easier to understand.
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Fix bugs: Find problems and rewrites code to fix them.
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Port to a language: Translates code into JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, C++, or PHP.
If you’re interested in trying out the canvas beta, you’ll need to be a ChatGPT Plus or Teams subscriber. If so, the feature is out right now. As OpenAI continues to test it, the company will roll it out to free accounts sometime in the future.
