Gemini Update: Google Introduces 'Canvas' & Audio Overview

Google Introduces Canvas to Gemini, Enhancing Collaborative Capabilities

The principle that imitation is the highest form of flattery appears to resonate with Google’s development strategy.

On Tuesday, the company unveiled a new feature for its Gemini AI chatbot, named Canvas. This addition mirrors similar tools from competitors like OpenAI’s ChatGPT Canvas and Anthropic’s Artifacts.

Gemini Canvas provides users with an interactive environment designed for creating, refining, and distributing both written content and code projects.

A New Approach to AI Collaboration

“Canvas is engineered for fluid collaboration alongside Gemini,” stated Dave Citron, Gemini product director, in a blog post shared with TechCrunch.

“These new functionalities are positioning Gemini as an increasingly effective collaborator, assisting users in realizing their concepts.”

AI companies are increasingly focused on evolving their chatbot platforms into comprehensive productivity suites, and dedicated workspaces like Gemini Canvas, ChatGPT Canvas, and Artifacts represent this trend.

These workspaces offer greater precision than traditional text-based interfaces and enable real-time code previews.

Features of Gemini Canvas

Accessible through the prompt bar within the Gemini app on both web and mobile platforms, Gemini Canvas allows users to compose extended messages with Gemini.

These drafts can then be edited and meticulously adjusted.

Users can target specific sections for updates and modify the tone, length, and formatting using integrated tools.

“For instance, a paragraph can be highlighted and Gemini instructed to make it more succinct, professional, or casual,” Citron explained.

“Content created can be easily exported to Google Docs for collaborative editing with a single click.”

Coding Capabilities within Canvas

Canvas also incorporates features tailored for programmers, including the ability to generate and preview code such as HTML, React, and other web application prototypes.

Users can request modifications to a preview, and Canvas will dynamically update it.

“As an example, if you need to create a subscription form for your website, you can ask Gemini to generate the HTML code and then preview its appearance and functionality within your web application,” Citron noted.

Audio Overview Feature Added

Alongside Canvas, Google is integrating the Audio Overview feature from NotebookLM into Gemini.

NotebookLM gained popularity last year for its Audio Overview capability, which produces realistic, podcast-style audio summaries of documents, web pages, and other sources.

Similar to its implementation in NotebookLM, Gemini’s Audio Overview accepts files and content in various formats.

Uploading a document through the prompt bar activates the Audio Overview shortcut, and the resulting summary can be downloaded or shared via the Gemini app.

Availability

Both Canvas and Audio Overview are now available globally to Gemini users, starting Tuesday.

Currently, the code preview feature within Canvas is limited to the web version, and Audio Overview summaries are only supported in English.