OpenAI’s Canvas Boosts ChatGPT with New Workspace Magic

OpenAI just cranked the collaboration dial up to 11 with a shiny new feature called “canvas,” designed to make working with ChatGPT feel more like a team project than a solo effort. Rolling out to ChatGPT Plus and Teams users this week, canvas creates a separate workspace right beside your usual chat window. It's perfect for when you're writing or coding—think of it as your AI-powered scratchpad. You can generate content, highlight parts for tweaks, or even switch things up with a friendly tone or emojis. It's like ChatGPT just got better at reading your mind... and your edits.

This launch comes hot on the heels of other AI workspaces like Anthropic’s Artifacts and the coding companion Cursor, as the industry pivots towards more interactive, editable environments. The canvas isn’t just about creating new work; it’s about refining what’s already there, so you don’t have to start from scratch every time. Whether you’re whipping up an email (and toggling a slider to make it snappier) or fine-tuning Python code, canvas has your back. And the best part? If you get stuck, ChatGPT can explain the code or suggest edits at the press of a button. It's like having a coding buddy that doesn’t need coffee breaks.

Expect to see this feature in the hands of more users soon. While it’s rolling out to Enterprise and Edu users next week, free-tier users can look forward to joining the canvas club once it clears beta. So, whether you're an email-writer extraordinaire or a coding wizard, canvas might just be the tool that lets you keep those creative (and productive) juices flowing. Keep an eye on this one—ChatGPT is leveling up!

Gmail Adds AI Chat for Inbox Cleanup on iOS

Google just brought its AI-powered Gmail Q&A feature to iOS, giving select users a more efficient way to manage their inboxes. Already available on Android since August, the feature allows you to chat with Google’s Gemini chatbot and get answers about your emails without the hassle of searching manually. Currently, it’s available to Google One AI Premium subscribers or Google Workspace accounts with the Gemini Business, Enterprise, or Education add-ons, but free users will have to wait.

What can Gmail Q&A do for you? Here’s a taste:

• Summarize emails around specific topics, like "Catch me up on the quarterly planning emails."

• Fetch unread emails from particular senders with a quick command.

• Answer detailed questions, like “How much did we spend on the last marketing event?”

This tool is part of Google’s broader strategy to integrate AI into everyday products like Gmail, Google Docs, and Calendar. But it doesn’t stop at emails. Google plans to expand Gemini’s capabilities soon, allowing it to pull relevant info from Google Drive. While the traditional search bar isn’t going away, the new Gemini button next to it offers a faster, more intuitive way to comb through your inbox. All these updates arrive as Google keeps its email service competitive with Apple’s newly revamped Mail app in iOS 18.

Meta's Movie Gen Brings AI Videos to Life

Meta just introduced its latest AI tool, Movie Gen, a model designed to transform text prompts into surprisingly realistic video clips—complete with sound effects (but thankfully, no voice just yet). This isn't your average AI; it can generate visuals like "a baker making a shiny hippo cake in a thunderstorm" or even nail specific camera movements like “pan left” or “tracking shot.” While the concept is still experimental, Meta says it's focused on making editing easier than ever. Need to tweak a detail? You can just type “change the background to a busy street” or “swap her shirt for a red dress,” and voilà—movie magic.

But hold your horses—Movie Gen isn’t getting a public release anytime soon. Instead, Meta’s keeping it research-only for now, especially with election season looming. The idea of generating a deepfake at this stage (even if unintentional) seems a bit too spicy for Meta's taste. So, while you won’t be generating your own movie just yet, the model’s potential is pretty clear: combining natural language prompts with precise editing and even adding sound effects like rushing waterfalls or engine noises.

What’s the catch? It can only generate up to 16 seconds of video at a slightly odd frame rate of 16 fps (or 10 seconds at the much more palatable 24 fps). And while it upscales video to 1080p, it technically only generates at 768 pixels wide. But hey, the tech is still developing, and the early results are already enough to keep Meta in the same game as AI video rivals like Runway and LumaLabs. Keep an eye out—this may just be the beginning of the generative video revolution.

Microsoft’s Copilot Gets Smarter with New AI Tools

Microsoft just gave its Copilot AI a serious upgrade, and it's now available on Windows for all users. The highlight? A cool new feature called Copilot Vision, which can analyze what’s on your screen and answer questions like, “What’s the recipe for that cake in the picture?” or “What’s this website talking about?” Think of it as having a helpful, AI-powered assistant peeking over your shoulder. For now, it's limited to pre-approved websites and blocked from paywalls and sensitive content, but it's still an impressive step forward. Just don’t expect it to help you sneak past those paywalls!

The company also introduced Think Deeper, an AI-powered reasoning tool that breaks down complex problems step-by-step. Whether you’re comparing different project costs or tackling math problems, this feature gives detailed, thoughtful responses. And if you’re in the mood for a little conversation, the new Copilot Voice feature lets you talk directly to the AI, which responds in one of four new synthetic voices. Copilot Voice even adjusts its tone based on your vibe, making it feel a bit like you’re talking to a real assistant (without the attitude).

To make things more personal, Microsoft is adding a personalization setting to Copilot, tailoring suggestions based on your preferences and interactions with other Microsoft apps. But here’s the catch: EU users will have to wait a bit longer for this feature thanks to ongoing discussions about privacy regulations. With all these updates, Microsoft is clearly doubling down on making Copilot the ultimate digital assistant—just in time to keep up with the ever-evolving AI competition.