Google is rolling out the ability to build custom versions of its Gemini AI chatbot, tailored to specific tasks and preferences, first seen at this year’s Google I/O event. These “Gems” are essentially Google’s equivalent of the custom GPTs found in the GPT Store, which run OpenAI on ChatGPT.
Gems are pitched as personalized AI experts that are ready to go right out of the box, and don’t require you to constantly re-run prompts to tweak the general Gemini model for your purposes. Instead, subscribers to Gemini Advanced or those using the Business and Enterprise versions of Gemini can quickly dive into whatever role they want Gemini to take on for them. Gems are available on both desktop and mobile devices in over 150 countries and in multiple languages.
You can build a Gem in much the same way as you would a CustomGPT. Simply describe the type of expert you want or the tasks you have in mind, and Gemini will convert what you write into specialized instructions for Gemini. Just give it a name and you’re good to go. You can see how it works in the video below.
Polished AI assistance
As a demonstration and to prime the pump for new Gems, Google has already set up several ready-made Gems for users. They’re fairly broad, but address common requests from Gemini. The ready-made Gems include a tutor that simplifies complex ideas called Learning Coach, an idea generator called Brainstormer, a tool to help find and get jobs called Career Guide, a software programming assistant called Coding Partner, and the aptly named Writing Editor for exactly what it says on the tin.
Much like the recently upgraded Imagen 3 AI image maker, Google clearly sees Gems as a way to entice and retain users on Gemini. By integrating it into the platform, Google can get a head start on attracting users who are looking for advanced but accessible AI tools. It’s part of a larger plan to make Gemini as central to your life as possible. And if you’re not happy with the way Gemini works out of the box, you can now polish it to look and perform the way you want.