In a move that echoes recent trends in AI-powered workspaces, Google has introduced Canvas, a new feature for its Gemini chatbot. The tool, launched on Tuesday, offers users an interactive platform to draft, refine, and share writing and coding projects.
The development places Google in direct competition with OpenAI’s Canvas for ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Artifacts, both of which provide dedicated workspaces for content creation and collaboration. “Canvas is designed for seamless collaboration with Gemini,” said Dave Citron, Gemini’s product director, in a blog post shared with TechCrunch. “With these new features, Gemini is becoming an even more effective collaborator, helping you bring your ideas to life.”
Gemini Canvas is accessible via the prompt bar on both the web and mobile versions of the Gemini app. Users can generate lengthy drafts with AI assistance and fine-tune sections by adjusting tone, length, and formatting. Additionally, the tool enables collaborative editing, allowing users to export content directly to Google Docs with a single click.
Beyond text editing, Canvas includes programming functionalities. Users can generate and preview HTML, React code, and other web-based prototypes in real time. The tool also supports iterative refinements based on user prompts. “For example, say you want to create an email subscription form for your website,” Citron explained. “You can ask Gemini to generate the HTML and preview how it will appear and function.”
Google also announced the integration of its Audio Overview feature from NotebookLM into Gemini. This feature, which gained traction last year, produces podcast-style audio summaries of documents, web pages, and other sources. Users can upload files through the prompt bar to generate summaries, which can then be downloaded or shared.
Both Canvas and Audio Overview are available globally for free starting Tuesday. While Canvas’ coding preview is currently limited to the web, and Audio Overview supports only English, the updates mark a significant step in Google’s efforts to enhance AI-driven productivity tools.
