OpenAI has launched a new interactive feature for ChatGPT called “canvas,” an innovative interface designed to improve writing and coding efficiency. According to TechCrunch, this new feature creates a separate workspace alongside the traditional chat window, allowing users to generate text or code, highlight sections for editing, and make real-time adjustments.
This move is part of a growing trend among AI providers to introduce editable workspaces, improving the usability of generative AI tools. OpenAI’s canvas is similar to Anthropic’s Artifacts, introduced in June, and the popular coding assistant Cursor. These efforts reflect OpenAI’s strategy to expand its offerings and attract more paid users.
Currently, AI chatbots are often used as a starting point for projects, but they can struggle with completing complex tasks in one go. The canvas feature addresses this by allowing users to modify AI-generated content without reworking their prompts or starting from scratch.
Users can activate the canvas by selecting “GPT-4o with canvas” from the model picker or by typing “use canvas” when working on tasks that require a dedicated workspace, such as long-form writing or complex coding projects.
TechCrunch demonstrated the feature’s practical benefits, showing how users can prompt ChatGPT to draft an email, which then appears in the canvas for easy editing.
