What is a Gem? (Custom AI Assistant)
A Gem is Google’s version of a custom AI assistant, allowing users to create a personalized and reusable version of the Gemini model for specific tasks.
Similar to OpenAI’s GPTs, a Gem is a specialized AI chatbot that you can tailor to your specific needs without coding. You give it a name, a specific persona, and a set of instructions (a System Prompt) that it will remember and apply in all conversations. This allows you to define its role, the context it needs, and the style of its responses.
For example, you could create a “Running Coach” Gem that always speaks in an encouraging tone, a “Sous Chef” Gem that knows your dietary restrictions, or a “Business Mentor” Gem that has context about your company’s goals. It’s Google’s tool for transforming their generalist Gemini AI into a team of specialized assistants.
A Simple Analogy
Think of it this way: if a custom GPT from OpenAI is like hiring a specialized employee trained at one company, a Gem is like hiring a similar specialist who graduated from Google’s training program. The job title might be the same (“Social Media Assistant”), but they have a slightly different background and access to different tools (like Google’s ecosystem). The end goal is the same, though: to create an expert assistant that doesn’t need every single detail explained every single time.
Why It Matters for Your Business
For a small business owner, Gems represent another powerful option for creating customized AI tools. If your business is heavily integrated with the Google ecosystem (e.g., Google Workspace, Google Drive), a Gem can be a seamless way to build an assistant that understands your workflow.
You can create a “Report Summarizer” Gem that knows how to structure meeting notes in a Google Doc, or a “Content Brainstormer” Gem that can help you plan your marketing content. The core benefit is the same as other custom assistants: saving time and ensuring consistency by building an AI that is pre-loaded with your specific business context and rules.
Example: A Gem for a Business Coach
A Canadian business coach could create a Gem called “Strategy Sidekick.”
Gem Name: Strategy Sidekick
Instructions (System Prompt): "You are Strategy Sidekick, a business coaching assistant for Canadian small business owners. Your persona is encouraging, insightful, and practical.
Your Rules:
Your primary goal is to help users brainstorm and overcome business challenges.
Always frame advice within the context of a small Canadian business (e.g., mentioning challenges like seasonal tourism or regional markets).
When asked for marketing ideas, focus on low-cost, high-impact strategies.
Keep your responses structured with clear headings and bullet points.
Never give financial or legal advice."Canadian AI Guy Pro Tip
Here’s a hot tip, eh! One of the big advantages of building a Gem is its generous character limit for instructions. Compared to the 8,000-character limit on ChatGPT’s GPTs, Google gives you a massive amount of space (over 30,000 characters). This means you can pack in significantly more detail, context, and rules. We often prefer Gems for building highly complex assistants because you can create a much deeper knowledge base without worrying about running out of room.
Key Takeaways
- Google’s Custom Assistant: A Gem is a personalized version of the Google Gemini model.
- Define Its Role: You provide a name and a system prompt to give the Gem a specific persona and set of instructions.
- Saves Time and Context: It remembers your rules and information across multiple conversations.
- Similar to GPTs: It is Google’s direct equivalent to OpenAI’s popular custom GPTs.
- Ecosystem Integration: Can be particularly useful for businesses that operate within the Google suite of tools.
Go Deeper
- The OpenAI Equivalent: Compare Gems with their direct competitor, the custom GPT.
- The Core Concept: Like all custom assistants, Gems are powered by a System Prompt.
- Anthropic’s Version: The other major player, Anthropic, offers a similar feature called Claude Projects.