(Web Desk) - OpenAI introduced a new interactive feature for ChatGPT called “canvas.” This innovative interface opens a separate workspace alongside the traditional chat window, enabling users to write and code more efficiently.
The canvas allows users to generate text or code directly, highlight sections for editing, and make real-time adjustments, Techcrunch reported.
The move aligns with a growing trend among AI providers toward editable workspaces, enhancing the usability of generative AI tools.
Canvas shares similarities with Anthropic’s Artifacts, launched in June, and the popular coding assistant Cursor, as OpenAI seeks to enhance its offerings and expand its paid user base.
Currently, AI chatbots struggle to complete extensive projects from a single prompt, but they often provide solid starting points. The canvas feature allows users to correct errors in an AI-generated output without needing to rework their prompts or generate entirely new content.
Users can activate the canvas by selecting “GPT-4o with canvas” from the model picker or by simply typing “use canvas” when a separate workspace is beneficial for tasks like longer outputs or complex coding.
TechCrunch demonstrated how the new features could streamline tasks such as email composition. Users can prompt ChatGPT to draft an email, which then appears in the canvas.
A slider allows users to adjust the email’s length, while specific sentences can be highlighted for modifications, such as making the tone friendlier or adding emojis. Users can also request translations into other languages.
For coding tasks, the canvas features a different set of tools. Users can prompt ChatGPT to create code, such as an API web server in Python, which will then be displayed in the canvas. An “add comments” button enables in-line documentation, clarifying code in plain English.
Users can also highlight code sections to receive explanations or ask questions. Additionally, a new “review code” button will suggest edits to both AI-generated and user-written code, allowing users to approve or decline changes. If approved, ChatGPT will attempt to fix any identified bugs.
OpenAI plans to offer the canvas feature to free users once the beta phase concludes. Initially, the feature is rolling out in beta for ChatGPT Plus and Teams users, with plans to extend access to Enterprise and Edu users next week.