OpenAI is constantly adding new features to ChatGPT to make it more functional for your everyday needs and essential to your workflow. The latest of these updates was the new Canvas feature announced at the beginning of the month, and I couldn’t be more impressed.
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If you use ChatGPT as a collaborator in any way, you will never use ChatGPT again without this feature. Canvas is a new interface that makes it easier to collaborate on writing and coding projects using ChatGPT. This concept is best understood visually, so leave it at that. Here’s how Canvas works:
interface
If you are a ChatGPT Plus subscriber, you can select the “GPT-4o with Canvas” beta version from the model selector dropdown in the ChatGPT interface. Once selected, the page will look the same, but when you enter the project you will see the magic happen.
In my walkthrough example, I will use an essay I published as an undergrad, as I do not use any AI tools to edit or write my ZDNET articles. I copied and pasted the text of the essay into the text box, prompting me to say, “Can you help me edit this piece?”
A new interface will automatically open as shown below. The edited project was placed on the right side of the screen, and the initial prompt appeared on the left side with a text box for asking additional questions. With this interface, no matter how many questions you ask or how many edits you make, your project will always remain in the same place on the right, how it will look after each edit, and what the next result will be. You can easily check whether original.
Why is the Canvas interface a game-changer? Typically, when you ask ChatGPT to revise a text, the AI outputs the new version as the next message, allowing you to compare the original and edited parts side-by-side. It becomes difficult to track changes.
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For example, in the regular interface, you could ask something like “Can you revise this cover letter?” and then follow up with a request to revise a specific paragraph, which would just print out a new paragraph. This can be inconvenient, especially if there is a lot of back and forth or a lot of interaction, as you have to go back and piece together both generations. meanwhile.
Although ChatGPT has advanced writing skills, it is still an AI and is prone to hallucinations, which can help you double-check your edits. Keeping track of your edits is also helpful because it helps you learn from your changes and implement them next time. It also eliminates the need to keep scrolling up and down the conversation to find suggestions and edits.
shortcut
Another innovative element of this feature is the new shortcuts available. The button in the bottom right corner of the right page where your project resides (represented by a pencil) contains four one-click shortcuts that allow you to convert your project with just a click.
Writing shortcuts help users adjust length, change reading level, add emojis, and “add finishing touches” to check grammar, clarity, and consistency. Coding shortcuts allow you to review your code, add logs, add comments, fix bugs, and port to your language. Buttons allow you to quickly and efficiently implement desired changes without using text prompts.
Introducing another useful tool (and my personal favorite). You can highlight parts of your project to make specific changes, and highlight a line of text or code to see another set of shortcuts. Now, in Canvas, you can change formatting with options like bold, italic, change the text type, or ask ChatGPT for help with that particular section directly.
Once you’ve finished editing that particular section, those edits will be reflected in the larger project, leaving the rest of the project untouched and only changing what the user requested. This makes it easier to stay organized. It’s so gratifying to see a small part of your living project change. This is especially useful for resumes, cover letters, or other job application materials.
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What about the quality of editing? Since Canvas uses GPT-4o (OpenAI’s most advanced and balanced model), the edits made are valuable and improve the overall quality of the text. When you request a general edit, it doesn’t just look for things like grammar and spelling (like Grammarly), it also checks syntax.
cost
Unfortunately, all the wonders described above come at a price. To access this feature now, you must be a $20/month ChatGPT Plus subscriber. If you’re a power user of ChatGPT, the cost may be justified as it comes with other perks like a new audio mode and unlimited image generation.
OpenAI says Enterprise and Edu users will be able to access Canvas this week, and free users of ChatGPT will have access in the future once the tool leaves beta.
