Gemini Canvas vs ChatGPT Canvas: Google's AI Writing Tool Challenges OpenAI's Offering

Forget ChatGPT Canvas -- I just tried Gemini Canvas and I'm floored by the difference

Google has just rolled out new collaboration tools, including Gemini Canvas. This interactive tool is designed to streamline writing and coding. As a writer, I was particularly excited to try out this tool because it is supposed to help refine and edit documents as an AI collaborator. I've tried ChatGPT Canvas and other writing tools like Sudowrite, so I was eager to do a hands-on and see if Gemini Canvas was something worth adding to my AI toolbox. Because it's free for all users, it made checking out Gemini Canvas even more intriguing. Here's what happened when I tried Gemini Canvas. I started by uploading the first chapter to Gemini Canvas and pushing enter. I didn't have to prompt Gemini or ask any questions; the AI just went to work as if it was an editor I had hired. The feedback was mind-blowing. It broke down the first chapter into two sections What Works Well and Areas for Improvement. I've been staring at this novel every weekend for months and only wish this tool had been available sooner. If you've ever had writer's block, let me tell you, Gemini Canvas is a game-changer. The feedback was incredibly detailed. It told me that the opening was strong, and the voice was clear and engaging. The pacing was also good and despite only reading chapter one, the AI said my characters were well-developed. A few more "What Works Well" points, and I was really feeling confident. Then came the Areas for Improvement. Gemini covered many points that hadn't even occurred to me. The book is a dramatic mystery, and the AI told me I needed to clarify motivation, tighten up the descriptions, and then included other areas that could help make the story better. In a word. Wow. When I uploaded the same first chapter into ChatGPT Canvas, it responded by telling me the story was uploaded and then asked if I need anything. Unlike Gemini, ChatGPT needed prompting if it was going to suggest edits and revisions. Gemini on the other hand, got to work right away. Obviously, if I'm uploading a piece of written work into Canvas, I am looking for writing support. I asked ChatGPT if there were any areas in the story that needed improvement. Gemini had already given me quite the ego boost, so I figured I'd start with what's wrong with the story. Unfortunately, ChatGPT only had a few small suggestions out of 3,000 words. At that point, I was curious, so I went ahead and asked ChatGPT what works well in the story. It gave me a very long list. Nice, but I use these tools for feedback not flattery. For me, that's the Gemini difference. Gemini Canvas is far more thorough and detailed in its critique than ChatGPT Canvas. It's essentially a real editor. ChatGPT made me feel like my mom was editing the story and was sparing my feelings. After receiving the feedback, I asked Gemini to go ahead and make the changes within the areas that needed improvement. The "canvas" is set up like a Google doc so users can make changes within the doc or export it to Google docs - another perk of using Gemini. In this case, the AI made all the changes for me. But where were the changes? It told me the changes it made, but didn't highlight them like ChatGPT. For example, it gave a character a small line, but I had to skim the entire chapter to find it. It would be helpful if the changes were easy to spot. Although I have written up to chapter 8 of this novel, I asked Gemini to "help me develop Chapter 2" just to see what would happen. It gave me so many different possible angles for the story that my head was spinning. I already have the story in place, but if I hadn't, I have no idea where I would have gone from there. I even asked Gemini "what do you think?" but it told me to look over what worked well in the first chapter. In other words, Gemini is overwhelmingly thorough. This is both a good thing and a bad thing for creatives as our heads are usually swimming with ideas. Sam Altman has hinted that OpenAI has another writing tool in the works, but up until now, I've never seen a better writing collaborator. Gemini Canvas doesn't do the work for you, it guides you. If you're looking for an AI tool to write your next novel for you, this isn't it. If you have great ideas and need some guidance on how to shape your story and make it the best it can be, this is the tool for you. It's not just for novel writers. I can see Gemini Canvas being very useful for creatives working on essays, blogs, or any place where one may need a little extra feedback. It feels like expert advice, but it's just the power of AI.

Is Gemini Canvas better than ChatGPT Canvas? I tested out both AI writing tools to find out which is king

Watching the development of AI chatbot features can feel a lot like listening to "Anything You Can Do" from Annie Get Your Gun. You know the song, "Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you." For instance, when OpenAI debuted the Canvas feature for ChatGPT, it boasted that it would make for a more flexible, collaborative way to create and edit text and code. When Google unveiled a feature with the exact same name, you can guess how they marketed it. Gemini's approach to an interactive workspace where users can draft, refine, and tweak content does have the distinction of being available for free, while you'll need to pay $20 a month for ChatGPT Plus to use Canvas with OpenAI's chatbot. Both claim to make creativity easier, but I wanted to see how they handled some real-world instances where those abilities would come in handy. One of the main elements of both versions of Canvas is that you can edit and adjust specific bits of text and code, so theoretically, I could have iterated forever. I kept things relatively simple for these experiments, lest I spend forever chasing down that perfect phrase or code snippet. I started with a common tool that needs extensive editing: a schedule. I went with a generic request for a basic weekly schedule. In their respective Canvas forms, I asked ChatGPT and Gemini to "Create a weekly schedule for me. I need to balance work (9 am - 5 pm, Monday to Friday), exercise, meal preparation, and personal time. I prefer to exercise in the mornings and dedicate evenings to personal projects." I then ran them through a series of edits, asking them to change the exercise time, add a writing session, expand the meal prep time, and add a dinner with friends to Friday. Both performed admirably in that regard. Finally, I asked them to "display this schedule as a visual calendar with different colors for each activity type." This is where there was some differentiation. While Gemini turned the calendar into a chart, it only suggested which colors to apply to which schedule bits. ChatGPT, meanwhile, formed a long list of events with an extra column for them to have a color with a small circle of that color. Neither really did what I wanted, but they did at least understand what I wanted in theory. I next decided to see how the two Canvases would handle enhancing a helpful guide. First, I asked, "How can I encourage my one-year-old son to start talking? Give me practical tips that don't feel like a parenting manual." Both AIs put together a nice range of suggestions for activities and practices to help teach my son new words. The real test came when I asked them both to add visuals to their guides. ChatGPT simply wrote text suggestions for images to go with different parts of the guide. Gemini really stood out, however, with not only actual photos showing some of the activities but also images that were linked to videos on TikTok and other sites demonstrating what the guide described. My wife is an amazing cook, and I've often thought about putting together a small website where people could find some of her best recipes. I figured testing Canvas was a great opportunity to see how the AI tools handled web development. I asked them both to: "Create a simple HTML page to showcase my wife's recipes, including sections for appetizers, main courses, and desserts. Keep it clean and visually appealing." Both quickly wrote some code, and both Canvas versions have an option to preview what that code would look like. You can see ChatGPT's below on the left and Gemini's on the right. Gemini had a decidedly more creative approach, even with the bare minimum of information in the prompt. With some more detail and creative ideas, the HTML from either could be adjusted, but when it comes to the initial prompt, Gemini clearly had more of a flair for web design. That seemed to be the real takeaway from the tests. Both forms of Canvas were great, with some iterating, but Gemini seemed to think more visually than ChatGPT. In terms of text, I found ChatGPT to generally be better, as is the case even without using Canvas. So, for myself, ChatGPT is where I'm likely to start, but if I really want to add some multimodal enhancement, I'll ask Gemini to lend its visual taste to the answer.

ChatGPT Canvas vs Gemini Canvas: Here are some differences

ChatGPT Canvas and Gemini Canvas offer AI-driven writing assistance but differ in feedback style, depth, and editing approach, with Gemini providing more detailed critiques and direct edits. Artificial intelligence tools are evolving rapidly, offering new ways to enhance writing and content creation. ChatGPT Canvas and Gemini Canvas are two AI-powered platforms designed to assist writers, but they differ in how they provide feedback and support. Here's a breakdown of their key differences. Feedback and editing approach Gemini Canvas provides instant and detailed feedback without requiring prompts. Once a user uploads a document, Gemini automatically analyzes the content, breaking it down into "What Works Well" and "Areas for Improvement." This makes it a proactive editing tool that acts like a real editor rather than just an AI assistant. ChatGPT Canvas, on the other hand, requires user prompting before offering feedback. Instead of immediately analyzing the document, it waits for specific user input. While this approach allows for more control over the feedback process, it may feel less intuitive for those looking for instant guidance. Depth of suggestions When it comes to critique, Gemini Canvas is significantly more detailed. It not only highlights areas for improvement but also suggests specific changes, making it easier for users to refine their writing. However, this thoroughness can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially for writers who prefer concise feedback. ChatGPT Canvas tends to be more balanced in its approach, offering a mix of strengths and weaknesses without overwhelming the user. Some may find this useful, while others may see it as lacking depth. Ease of implementing changes Gemini Canvas applies changes directly within the document, making it easy to refine content. However, it does not always highlight modifications, requiring users to manually review the text. ChatGPT Canvas, in contrast, makes suggested edits more visible, making it easier to track adjustments.