Google just released two new features for its Gemini AI assistant: Canvas and Audio Overviews.
Canvas introduces a dedicated workspace within Gemini where users can create and refine both documents and code in real-time. Users can spin up initial drafts and then work with Gemini to edit specific sections, adjust tone, or reformat content as needed.
For coding projects, Canvas includes a live preview alongside the code so users can iteratively edit while watching it evolve as you make the changes.
The second feature, Audio Overview, converts written materials (like documents or slides) into a “podcast-style discussion between two AI hosts.” This functionality was previously available in Google’s NotebookLM. (The team responsible for creating NotebookLM left in December to launch their own startup).
Both features are rolling out globally today for Gemini and Gemini Advanced subscribers, though Audio Overview is currently only available in English, with more language support planned, the company said in a blog post on Tuesday.
AI competitors like Anthropic and OpenAI have similar features — called Projects and Canvas respectively. The naming conventions for these features have gotten competitive as well. Google launched a feature called Deep Research, where AI conducts research on a topic for you, in December. Then, OpenAI released a similar feature with the same name in February. In October, OpenAI released a feature for writing and coding projects called Canvas. Now, Google is releasing the same feature under the same name too.
