Since ChatGPT launched in late 2022, individuals have been utilizing it and different generative AI instruments for each writing and coding, to various levels of success. OpenAI appears to be banking on its fashions being succesful collaboration instruments, as its now introducing “canvas,” a characteristic that basically turns ChatGPT into an AI-powered phrase processor.
Canvas is constructed on OpenAI’s GPT-4o mannequin. As such, you possibly can select “ChatGPT 4o with canvas” from the mannequin selector to actively interact the characteristic. Nonetheless, OpenAI additionally constructed canvas to launch mechanically relying on the immediate. If you happen to ask ChatGPT to write down a weblog publish, for instance, canvas is meant to open. (You can even simply ask ChatGPT to open canvas for you.) OpenAI says it has additionally educated the characteristic to keep away from launching once you ask ChatGPT for assist with issues that seemingly will not want such an concerned enhancing course of.
When energetic, canvas opens your question into a brand new window, displaying your textual content or code as if in Google Docs or Phrase. From right here, you possibly can proceed writing like some other phrase processor: The thought is not to let ChatGPT do all the work, since you possibly can proceed writing no matter you need at any time.
After all, you possibly can pull in ChatGPT for help every time author’s block strikes. You’ll be able to spotlight particular person phrases, sentences, or paragraphs, and when you have entry to formatting choices like daring, italics, and heading dimension, you too can click on Ask ChatGPT to inquire about your choice. I typed “hi there” on the backside of my textual content, highlighted it, and requested ChatGPT if the phrase was misplaced. Reasonably than give me a solution, ChatGPT merely deleted the phrase, and mentioned it “eliminated the phrase ‘hi there’ that appeared misplaced.”
When your canvas is about for writing textual content (versus code), there are 5 fundamental ChatGPT shortcuts you may discover within the backside proper nook of the window:
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Add emojis: This selection mechanically sprinkles emojis all through your doc with “related” icons. It is seemingly ineffective, until you actually wish to piss off whoever you are sending this textual content to.
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Add ultimate polish: ChatGPT will examine your textual content for issues like grammar and readability, and mechanically make modifications accordingly.
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Change studying degree: This selection adjusts the studying degree of your piece. You’ll be able to select from Kindergarten, Center Faculty, Excessive Faculty, School, and Graduate Faculty. In my expertise, Graduate Faculty appears to throw “huge” phrases in at random, like “crucial” and “facilitate,” whereas I believe Kindergarteners would wrestle to learn what ChatGPT thinks is a bit written at their studying degree.
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Modify the size: You’ll be able to select to have ChatGPT make your piece longer or shorter.
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Recommend edits: Select this, and ChatGPT will undergo your piece and spotlight parts the place it’d make modifications. It seems like an editor returning a Google Doc to you with inline notes. You’ll be able to select to mechanically apply any of those solutions, or dismiss them. For instance, ChatGPT wished me to take away the emojis it added on two totally different events. I refused.
With canvas, OpenAI is competing considerably with different generative AI writing instruments, maybe most notably Anthropic’s Artifacts, which helps you to transfer content material to a devoted window. Apple Intelligence additionally involves thoughts, as effectively, since you possibly can name upon Apple’s AI at any time to assist rewrite your textual content. After all, it is also much like AI assistants in devoted phrase processors, like Gemini in Google Docs, or Copilot in Microsoft Phrase.
Ideally, I may see the characteristic having some advantage. An AI editor may very well be helpful for mentioning locations in your textual content that may very well be clearer, serving to you be taught to be a greater writing and self-editor. In observe, nonetheless, it suffers from the standard points generative AI textual content is thought for: For instance, altering the studying degree, particularly boosting it up, often means awkwardly swapping in bigger phrases every time the bot finds a possibility. I additionally discovered many the enhancing solutions a bit ineffective, or an try to take the character out of the writing. That is nonetheless in beta, however as with most AI writing instruments, I am going to move on canvas for my very own work.
Canvas can also be designed for enhancing code, as effectively. I do not know the best way to code, so I can not converse to private expertise, however OpenAI says coding shortcuts embody:
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Assessment code: Just like Recommend Edits, this selection suggests inline edits to your code.
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Add logs: This selection provides print statements that will help you debug and perceive your code.
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Add feedback: Inserts feedback alongside the code so its simpler to grasp.
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Repair bugs: Discover issues and rewrites code to repair them.
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Port to a language: Interprets code into JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, C++, or PHP.
If you happen to’re fascinated by making an attempt out the canvas beta, you may must be a ChatGPT Plus or Groups subscriber. In that case, the characteristic is out proper now. As OpenAI continues to check it, the corporate will roll it out to free accounts someday sooner or later.
