ChatGPT’s co-editor interface, Canvas, is already a valuable tool for generating and editing code. Now, OpenAI is elevating the feature with the integration of o1, its powerful reasoning model.
ChatGPT’s Advanced Reasoning Model Is Coming to Canvas
OpenAI just rolled out an exciting update for ChatGPT’s Canvas mode, which will now be able to leverage o1, the company’s most advanced reasoning LLM. According to OpenAI’s X post, you can now choose “o1 from the model picker and use the toolbox icon or the ‘/canvas’ command” to take advance of the integration.
At the time of writing, Canvas with o1 is only available to Pro, Plus, and Team users, but will roll out to Enterprise and Edu plans in a “couple weeks,” per OpenAI.
The update is undeniably great news for coders. Generating code was already one of the top uses for ChatGPT’s Canvas mode. The interface was built to support “projects that require editing and revisions,” as described in OpenAI’s announcement of Canvas in October 2024. Compared to the classic ChatGPT window, Canvas mode lets you easily produce, review, debug, directly adjust and make comments on your code. Matching that with an advanced reasoning model like o1 amplifies the possibilities of the tool.
Seeing Is Believing
In addition to the o1 integration, OpenAI is also bringing rendering power to Canvas. Now, you’ll be able to preview your code as you work in the generative interface—as long as its HTML and React code.
This ability to write and render code in Canvas at the same time will undoubtedly be a huge time-saver and a big pull for the platform. The lack of rendering ability was one of the reasons that some have preferred using Claude compared to ChatGPT Canvas for code support.
Unlike the o1 integration, the new React and HTML rendering functionality is available to Free users—not just Pro, Plus, and Team accounts.
While some are still waiting for Canvas updates like additional programming languages, the latest advancement is a huge leap forward for ChatGPT’s co-editing tool. Plus, it’s decent timing for OpenAI to introduce such compelling new features, as Chinese-developed AI model DeepSeek soars to the top of the free app chart. That said, OpenAI’s announcement is far from a desperate press stunt; these improvements will actually save you quite a few headaches when writing and debugging code.
