AI Canvas overview
AI Canvas is Ultrathink's multi-modal prompt interface for working with your knowledge base. Rather than switching between your saved entries and a separate AI tool, AI Canvas lets you pull in specific pieces of your knowledge, combine them with a prompt, and get a thoughtful response grounded in your own content.
Think of it as a workspace where your captured knowledge meets AI reasoning.
Key features
AI Canvas brings together several capabilities in a single interface:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Attach marked bits | Include highlighted snippets, screenshots, or notes from your entries as context |
| Multi-modal input | Combine text prompts with images, screenshots, and other visual content |
| Reasoning levels | Choose how deeply the AI thinks before responding (none, low, medium, or high) |
| Web search | Optionally pull in web results to supplement your knowledge base |
| Save responses | Keep AI-generated content as new entries in your knowledge base |
When to use AI Canvas
AI Canvas works best when you have a specific task or question and want to use your saved knowledge as context. Here are the most common use cases.
Synthesise research
Attach multiple articles, notes, or clipped web pages on a topic and ask the AI to pull together the key themes, identify gaps, or produce a summary. This is especially useful when you have saved content from different sources over time and need to consolidate what you know.
Example prompt: "Based on these three articles about serverless architecture, summarise the main trade-offs and recommend an approach for a small team."
Draft content
Use your notes, clippings, and marked bits as source material for writing. Whether you are drafting a blog post, preparing a presentation outline, or writing a project brief, AI Canvas can work from your existing knowledge rather than starting from scratch.
Example prompt: "Using these meeting notes and project requirements, draft a one-page project proposal."
Compare options
When you have saved entries about competing tools, approaches, or solutions, attach them all and ask for a structured comparison. The AI can identify strengths, weaknesses, and trade-offs across the options.
Example prompt: "Compare these three CRM platforms based on the notes I have saved. Create a table of features, pricing, and pros and cons."
Generate ideas
Combine different pieces of inspiration, whether articles, images, quotes, or conversation snippets, and prompt the AI to suggest new directions, connections, or creative approaches.
Example prompt: "Based on these design references and user feedback notes, suggest five feature ideas for the next sprint."
AI Canvas vs AI Chat
Ultrathink offers two AI interfaces, each suited to different workflows:
| Aspect | AI Canvas | AI Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Interaction style | Single prompt with rich context | Back-and-forth conversation |
| Best for | Focused tasks with specific inputs | Exploratory questions and follow-ups |
| Context | You choose exactly which marked bits to attach | Draws from your entire knowledge base |
| Output | One detailed response per prompt | Ongoing dialogue with multiple exchanges |
| Reasoning control | Adjustable reasoning levels | Standard reasoning |
Use AI Canvas when you know what you want to produce and have specific entries to work from. Choose AI Chat when you want to explore a topic, ask follow-up questions, or have a conversation that evolves as you go.
What you can attach
AI Canvas accepts a variety of content types as input:
| Content type | What gets included |
|---|---|
| Text snippets | Highlighted passages from articles, notes, or conversations |
| Screenshots | Images captured from web pages or your desktop |
| Full entries | Entire saved entries with their AI summaries and metadata |
| Notes | Your personal annotations and observations |
| Audio transcripts | Transcribed content from voice recordings |
| PDF extracts | Highlighted sections from saved documents |
The more relevant context you provide, the more useful the AI's response will be. However, attaching too much unrelated content can dilute the quality, so focus on the entries most relevant to your prompt.
How responses are handled
When the AI generates a response on the canvas, you have several options:
- Read and use directly: Copy text or reference the output for your work
- Save as an entry: Store the response in your knowledge base, where it goes through the same AI processing pipeline as any other entry
- Iterate and refine: Adjust your prompt, change the reasoning level, or modify your attachments, then compose again
- Compare versions: Each composition generates a new response, so you can review multiple iterations side by side
Saved responses become part of your knowledge base and are available for future searches, AI Chat conversations, and even as context for future AI Canvas sessions.
Getting started
To start using AI Canvas:
- Navigate to AI Canvas in the sidebar
- Attach one or more marked bits from your entries
- Write your prompt describing what you need
- Select a reasoning level
- Click Compose
For a detailed walkthrough, see Creating AI canvases.
Tips for effective prompts
- Be specific: Tell the AI exactly what format and level of detail you want
- Reference your attachments: Mention what you have attached so the AI knows how to use the context
- Set constraints: Specify word counts, formats (table, bullet list, narrative), or other requirements
- Iterate: If the first response is not quite right, adjust your prompt and reasoning level, then compose again