ChatGPT Canvas for OpenAI Collaboration

Improve AI collaboration with ChatGPT Canvas

Sometimes, you need to work on something that’s more substantial and would benefit from being more persistent than when you have a single Chat conversation.

Think in terms of a software project, a report, or other long-form document. Ideally, you want to come back to the project as you add more detail or have more ideas. You can use OpenAI as a collaborator on these broader products.

That’s what ChatGPT Canvas does for you.

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ChatGPT Canvas is a dedicated workspace to collaborate, create, and innovate in real-time.

Think of it as your AI-powered notebook for long-form writing, complex coding, and brainstorming—all in one place. Built for users like you, it’s designed to streamline your workflow and keep you in control.

This isn’t a unique idea. Anthropic is on a similar mission with Artifacts. It’s turning conversations with Claude into creative and collaborative experiences. With Artifacts, you get a dedicated window to see, iterate, and build on your work instantly.

However, this is a newer feature for ChatGPT, and I am finding it to be a better experience since I think the ChatGPT models are a bit more capable than Claude’s Sonnet 3.5.

Examples for Using Open AI Canvas

To be honest, I didn’t quite get the power of Canvas or Anthropic Artifacts at first, but then, it clicked. Anthropic Artifacts provide a dedicated workspace for managing substantial content, enhancing user interaction with AI.

They promote a creative and collaborative experience by allowing users to view and iterate on their work seamlessly. The feature supports versatile content creation, enabling users to produce various types of media easily. Additionally, Artifacts foster community engagement by allowing users to publish and remix content, enhancing collaboration and innovation.

OpenAI Canvas is not quite as advanced but the web search, integration with GPTs (think building your knowledge base interactivity), and the powerful OpenAI models make it very useful.

For example, I used Canvas to draft this newsletter. I kept adding to the outline before I used Beehiiv’s editor to edit what you are reading now. Then I used Grammarly for proofreading and then edited my final commentary, using my own point of view.

Note that this is my best solution for a workflow, using the best of breed tools. In the long-term I will likely be using a team of agents to get this narrowed down even more quickly. But for now it’s a huge time saver until I have a more automated process.

Use Cases for ChatGPT Canvas

Now here’s a list of ways you can use ChatGPT Canvas to improve your productivity.

Collaborate on Long-Form Writing

• Draft comprehensive strategy documents, annual reports, or detailed proposals without breaking your workflow.
• Use version history to refine and track changes effortlessly. See the version history, undo, redo, and copy in the upper right-hand corner.

Example: Create a 10-page market analysis report while integrating real-time feedback from your team.

Simplify Complex Coding Projects

• Debug challenging issues collaboratively, with real-time code suggestions from Canvas.
• Develop entire projects in one workspace, from prototypes to production-ready scripts.

Example: Use Canvas to create a Chrome extension. Highlight text that you need to refactor or edit, and it will open an Ask ChatGPT Dialogue. You can conduct code review by clicking on the menu in the lower right-hand corner.

Future-Ready Technology Collaboration

• Take advantage of GPT-4 Turbo’s speed and accuracy for real-world applications.
• Use advanced features like data summarization or scenario simulations to make informed decisions.

Example: Generate a concise summary of a 50-page technical white paper in minutes.

Where Canvas Fall Down

OpenAI’s Canvas feature, as it stands, does not support real-time collaboration with other members of your workspace—a limitation that feels out of step with the growing demand for collaborative tools in productivity environments. Given OpenAI’s trajectory in developing its products, it’s reasonable to assume that collaborative functionality may eventually be introduced.

How to Get Started

1. Open ChatGPT and select your model from the model picker.
2. Then choose the other tools in your prompt bar, and choose Canvas
3. Start your project—write, code, and collaborate effortlessly.
4. Then click on the Canvas window for better visibility.