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

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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.

Honest critique from Gemini

Gemini Canvas screenshot — (Image credit: Future)

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.

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.

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.

The Gemini difference

ChatGPT Canvas screenshot — (Image credit: Future)

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.

Room for improvement

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.

Final thoughts

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.