OpenAI has announced significant enhancements to its Canvas feature, which allows users to collaborate with its AI chatbot on various tasks. Originally launched in October 2024 as an early beta, the feature became widely available to all users by December 2024. The latest updates include the integration of the o1 artificial intelligence (AI) model, along with the feature’s availability for the ChatGPT app on macOS across all user tiers.
OpenAI Enhances ChatGPT’s Canvas Functionality
The updates to Canvas were shared in a recent post on X (formerly known as Twitter). Up until now, the o1 AI model was accessible for general output generation only for paid subscribers, and its capabilities were not extended to the Canvas interface. However, users subscribed to the ChatGPT Plus, Teams, and Pro plans can now utilize Canvas with the o1 model integrated.
To access the o1 model within Canvas, users are required to select it from the model picker. After this selection, they can open the Canvas interface by using either the “/canvas” command or the toolbox icon, providing them with the enhanced features of the o1 model.
Furthermore, Canvas is now available on the ChatGPT desktop app for macOS, making it accessible to free users in addition to those on paid plans. However, free users will not have access to the o1 model. Previously, the Canvas feature was exclusive to the web version of the platform, and OpenAI has not announced any upcoming availability for mobile apps or the Windows desktop application.
The capabilities of Canvas have also expanded to include support for HTML and React code, alongside existing languages such as JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, C++, and PHP. Currently, access to HTML and React rendering is limited to paid subscribers.
OpenAI is also set to roll out both o1 model support and HTML/React rendering to its Enterprise and Edu subscribers in the coming weeks.
Importantly, Canvas serves as a collaborative platform where users and the AI can jointly engage in projects. After ChatGPT generates a response based on a user’s prompt, individuals can seamlessly make inline edits to refine the output further. OpenAI emphasized that this feature is particularly beneficial for creative writing and coding tasks.
