OpenAI Enhances ChatGPT with New Canvas and Projects Features

This new ChatGPT trick lets you download your Canvas work as a PDF in seconds - here's how

OpenAI has updated Canvas, a writing and coding assistant integrated into ChatGPT, allowing users to download and export files directly. In an X post on Thursday, the company announced that Canvas users can now download text files as PDF, DOCX, or Markdown, while code can be exported to the appropriate file extension (.py for Python, .js for JavaScript, .sql for Structured Query Language, and so on). Also: Is ChatGPT Plus really worth $20 when the free version offers so many premium features? (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, ZDNET's parent company, filed an April 2025 lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.) Canvas is a feature built into ChatGPT and designed to assist writers and coders with fine-grained edits. Certain prompts -- such as "Can you help me write and revise an essay on the Roman Republic?" -- will automatically open Canvas, which appears as a separate window. ChatGPT can also be directly prompted to open Canvas. The feature was positioned as an editorial assistant that can help speed up some of the more mundane and time-consuming aspects of the writing and coding process. It can suggest inline edits on a written draft, for example, or detect and fix bugs in code. Canvas can be a huge productivity booster for writers and coders; ZDNET's senior AI editor has described it as the best ChatGPT-integrated feature since the chatbot was first released in late 2022. You can now download or export a file in Canvas by selecting the download icon (an arrow pointing down into a square) at the top-right corner of the window. The debut of generative AI tools like ChatGPT has caused tremors of anxiety across many creative industries as employers rush to embrace the technology and working professionals look toward a future in which some aspects of their job descriptions could soon be automated. Also: 6 new ways ChatGPT Projects supercharges your AI chats - how to try it Many of these tools also excel at coding, causing many working software engineers to wonder about their future job security. Students, meanwhile, have begun to wonder about the practicality of pursuing a degree in computer science. Thus far, the worst fears of AI-fueled job displacement haven't materialized, though there are some early indications that tech companies are hiring fewer recent college graduates, a trend that could be fueled in part by the wide-scale embrace of AI. Also: How to use ChatGPT to write code - and my top trick for debugging what it generates Leaders at OpenAI, Google, and other leading tech developers have publicly stated their belief that the AI tools they're building will cause some significant disruptions to the job market. But they also -- much more emphatically -- say that the technology will ultimately be a boon to human creativity. Get the morning's top stories in your inbox each day with our Tech Today newsletter.

You Can Now Download Generated Canvas in ChatGPT

The Projects feature now supports deep research and voice mode OpenAI added new capabilities to Canvas and Projects in ChatGPT last week. The San Francisco-based artificial intelligence (AI) firm is now letting users download the content within a Canvas in multiple file types. Additionally, when writing code in Canvas, users will be able to export it in the relevant file type. Separately, the company is also expanding its Projects feature, which now supports deep research, voice mode, and more. Additionally, those using the ChatGPT mobile app on iOS and Android will finally be able to upload files and change the AI model while working on a project. In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), the official handle of OpenAI announced that content generated in ChatGPT's Canvas feature can now be downloaded. Canvas was first introduced as a preview in October 2024, and was later expanded to all users in December 2024. It is a sandbox-style pop-up window within the chatbot that allows users to make inline edits, formatting, and other changes to text and code. With this new feature, users will be able to download generated text as a PDF, Microsoft Word (.docx), and Markdown (.md) file types. Additionally, when coding, users can directly export the file in the relevant type, including .py for Python, .js for JavaScript, and .sql for Structured Query Language (SQL). Notably, Canvas is available to all users on the ChatGPT website, desktop apps, and mobile apps. Additionally, the company is also expanding capabilities in Project, a tool that allows users to create chat folders where the AI retain the context of the previous conversations, any specific rules, and uploaded files. Notably, Projects is currently only available to the paid subscribers of the platform. In a separate post, the company announced the new features coming to Projects. It will now support deep research and allow users to make queries for in-depth, multi-step research with public web sources. Projects will also support ChatGPT's voice mode for a hands-free experience. Apart from this, users will also be able to create a unique URL for the chat folder and share it with others. ChatGPT in Projects can also make use of the improved memory function and can reference past chats in a project to ensure the responses are tailored to the context. Users will also be able to turn any chat into a project from either the sidebar menu or by dragging a chat into the project folder. Finally, those using the ChatGPT mobile app can now upload files and switch the AI models while in a project. However, to access this feature, users will need to be on the latest version of the app.