Gemini needs real-time collaborative chats — not just Canvas

Enhancing Gemini’s Capabilities: The Need for Real-Time Collaborative Chat Features

In the rapidly evolving landscape of AI-powered productivity tools, Gemini has established itself as a versatile platform, particularly with its Canvas feature that enables co-editing of documents alongside AI assistance. While Canvas excels at facilitating collaborative document editing, it currently lacks a critical component: the ability for multiple humans to engage in a shared, real-time chat session within the platform.

This absence creates a notable barrier for collaborative workflows, especially within team projects, study groups, or any scenario requiring dynamic, ongoing communication. At present, users are compelled to copy and paste chat transcripts into documents, a workaround that hampers the natural flow of conversation and slows down productivity. Additionally, previous iterations of ChatGPT allowed continuous shared chat sessions—an invaluable feature for maintaining context and fostering collaborative thinking—though this capability has been reduced or removed in recent updates.

To elevate Gemini into a truly collaborative AI environment, the platform should consider implementing the following features:

• Real-Time Multi-User Collaboration: Allow multiple users to participate simultaneously in the same chat thread, enabling seamless dialogue and idea exchange.
• Granular Permission Controls: Provide options to set different access levels—view, comment, or edit—to maintain control over shared content and prevent unintentional modifications.
• Branching and Version History: Integrate features akin to version control, so users can track changes, revert to previous states, and prevent overwrites during collaborative efforts.

Introducing these functionalities would position Gemini as the first platform to offer truly interactive, multi-user AI collaboration. While Google Docs has set the standard for co-editing documents, a similar capability for conversational AI would unlock new potentials for teamwork, brainstorming, and collective learning within Gemini.

Do you believe real-time collaborative chat features should become a priority for Gemini’s development roadmap? Share your thoughts on how such enhancements could transform the platform’s collaborative utility.