Google Now Lets You Share Custom Gemini AI Assistants (Gems) Like Google Drive Files

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Key Takeaways

• Google now allows sharing of custom Gemini Gems AI assistants with others
• Sharing works identically to Google Drive file sharing with permission controls
• Feature available for Gemini Advanced, Business, and Enterprise subscribers in 150+ countries
• Gems can be shared for collaboration on vacation planning, meal planning, writing projects
• Shared Gems appear in Google Drive with Gemini icon for easy access
• Recipients can view, edit, or make copies of shared Gems based on permissions

Table of Contents

1. What Are Google Gemini Gems?
2. New Gems Sharing Feature Explained
3. How to Share Your Gemini Gems
4. Practical Use Cases for Gems Sharing
5. Availability and Requirements
6. Comparison with OpenAI’s Custom GPTs
7. Privacy and Security Considerations
8. Impact on AI Collaboration
9. Future Developments
10. Conclusion
11. FAQ

What Are Google Gemini Gems?

Google Gemini Gems are custom AI assistants and experts designed for specific tasks that users can create through the Gemini platform. Launched initially for Gemini Advanced subscribers in August 2024, Gems allow users to write instructions to create specialized AI chatbots for different scenarios and workflows.

Pre-made Gems Examples

Google launched with several premade Gems for different scenarios, including:

• Learning coach: helps break down complex topics, making them easier to understand
• Brainstorming assistant for creative ideation
• Career guide for professional development
• Writing editor for content improvement
• Coding partner for programming assistance

How Gems Work

Think of Gems as your very own AI experts living right inside Google Gemini. They’re not just any AI, though. They’re your AI, trained on specific instructions to give you the most helpful and relevant responses possible. When you invoke a Gem, its instructions are loaded into context, ensuring consistent behavior aligned with its intended purpose.

Evolution of Gems Access

After first rolling out to Gemini Advanced, Gemini Business, and Gemini Enterprise subscribers in over 150 countries, Google announced in March that Gems were now available to everyone and could support file uploads.

New Gems Sharing Feature Explained

Google announced on Thursday that you’ll be able to share your Gems with friends, family, or co-workers as easily as you can share a file from Google Drive. This represents a significant advancement in collaborative AI use, addressing one of the most requested features from the Gemini community.

Key Sharing Capabilities

Sharing Gems works just like sharing files in Google Drive, giving you control over who can view or edit your Gem. The integration leverages Google’s existing Drive infrastructure to provide familiar permissions and access controls.

Technical Implementation

Sharing is handled via the existing Google Drive system. As such, you can enter an email address or get a link. Once shared, a new “Gemini Gems” folder will appear in Google Drive containing the shared AI assistants.

Permission Controls

Once shared, other users can edit, use, or make a copy of the Gem. Gems sharing is powered by the same technology powering Google Drive, so you’ll notice a familiar, consistent interface and experience as you would when sharing other files, such as a Google Doc.

How to Share Your Gemini Gems

Step-by-Step Sharing Process

To share, simply open your Gem manager on the web and click “Share” next to any Gem you’ve created. The process mirrors Google Drive’s sharing functionality for consistency and ease of use.

Detailed Instructions:

1. Navigate to the Gemini web interface at gemini.google.com
2. Go to the “Explore Gems” page in the side panel: gemini.google.com/gems/view
3. Items in the “My Gems” list now have a share button next to the edit pencil icon
4. Click the share button to open sharing options
5. Enter email addresses or generate a shareable link
6. Set appropriate permissions (view, edit, or copy)
7. Send the share invitation

Accessing Shared Gems

For the other person, that opens the chat page immediately, with a “This Gem is shared. Instructions may change” message above the prompt box. After you enter a prompt, it will be saved to the Gem manager with a new “Shared with me” section.

Mobile Limitations

Currently, Gems can only be shared using the Gemini web client. You can only share custom Gems via the Gemini web client, not through the Gemini mobile app or Google mobile app. However, Google is working on mobile sharing capabilities.

Practical Use Cases for Gems Sharing

Family and Personal Use

Google says sharing Gems could also be useful for people planning and guiding family vacations, meal planning, or collaborative writing projects.

Family Collaboration Examples:

• Vacation Planning: Create a comprehensive travel guide Gem with destination research, itineraries, and local recommendations
• Meal Planning: Develop a personalized meal planner considering family dietary restrictions and preferences
• Educational Support: Share learning coach Gems for children’s homework assistance across different subjects

Professional Applications

If multiple co-workers were using a similar type of custom Gemini assistant, they could just share the same resource instead of each making their own version that could have some contradictions.

Workplace Scenarios:

• Project Management: Custom Gems for specific project workflows and methodologies
• Content Creation: Shared writing assistants with company style guidelines and brand voice
• Technical Documentation: Coding partners specialized for particular programming languages or frameworks
• Training Materials: Learning coaches tailored to specific company processes or industry knowledge

Creative Collaboration

Whether you’ve crafted a detailed vacation guide for your family, a story-writing partner for your creative team or a personalized meal planner for a friend, sharing your Gems makes collaboration easier.

Availability and Requirements

Subscription Requirements

Google confirmed that the feature is rolling out to Gemini Advanced, Gemini Business, and Gemini Enterprise subscribers. It will also be available in more than 150 countries.

Geographic Availability

Gems are now rolling out on desktop and mobile devices to Gemini Advanced, Gemini Business and Gemini Enterprise users in more than 150 countries in most languages.

Technical Prerequisites

• Active Gemini Advanced, Business, or Enterprise subscription
• Access to Gemini web interface for sharing functionality
• Google Drive account for permissions management
• Internet connectivity for real-time collaboration

Sharing Limitations

Gems are only shareable when any custom knowledge is either uploaded from a device to the Gem, or files added from Google Drive. If any other file types are added (e.g. code folders, emails, etc.), the Gem will no longer be shareable, and the sharing button will not be available (grayed out).

Comparison with OpenAI’s Custom GPTs

Feature Parity Achievement

Gems in Gemini function similarly to custom GPTs on OpenAI’s platform: they allow users to craft reusable prompt templates tied to specific model behaviors. However, unlike OpenAI’s offerings, Gems currently can’t be shared, which has limited their traction.

With the new sharing capability, Google has addressed this significant limitation, bringing Gems closer to competitive parity with OpenAI’s GPT Store.

Key Differences

Competitive Advantages

• Familiar Interface: Leveraging Google Drive’s well-known sharing paradigm
• Enterprise Integration: Seamless integration with Google Workspace
• Permission Granularity: Advanced access controls through Drive settings
• File Synchronization: Automatic updates when shared Gems are modified

Privacy and Security Considerations

Data Protection Measures

Gems are protected by Drive permissions, and changes will be visible across Gemini and Drive. This integration ensures that existing Google security infrastructure protects shared AI assistants.

Administrative Controls

Admins are able to control whether their users can share Gems using a new Admin console setting located under Generative AI > Gemini app > Gems.

Organizational Settings

This feature will be ON by default and can be disabled at the domain, OU, and Group levels. Note: Sharing controls are managed by your organization’s Drive sharing settings. If Drive content is set to be shareable outside the organization, then Gems are too.

Content Visibility

Before creating a link with your Gem and current conversation, Google reminds users that this link will become public, and anyone with the link can see the name of the Gem and other information.

Impact on AI Collaboration

Accelerating AI Adoption

Sharing Gems can accelerate AI adoption, improve efficiency, and foster innovation across your organization. By enabling knowledge sharing and reducing duplication of effort, organizations can maximize their AI investment.

Reducing Development Redundancy

This would make Gems more accessible to more people, as not everyone uses the advanced customization feature. It could also help prevent people from building the same Gems as others.

Knowledge Democratization

The sharing capability democratizes access to specialized AI assistants, allowing less technical users to benefit from sophisticated Gems created by power users.

Integration with AI Tools Ecosystem

Gemini Gems sharing creates new opportunities for integration with broader AI tool ecosystems, enabling comprehensive workflow automation and collaboration across different platforms and specializations.

Future Developments

Mobile App Integration

There’s evidence that might be changing, according from an APK teardown from Android Authority. The new option appears amongst the list of options in the action menu for Gemini, alongside the existing option to Share conversation.

Enhanced Collaboration Features

Future developments may include:

• Real-time collaborative editing of Gem instructions
• Version control and change tracking
• Public Gem marketplace similar to OpenAI’s GPT Store
• Advanced analytics for shared Gem usage
• Integration with other Google Workspace applications

Platform Expansion

Google may expand Gems sharing to include:

• Integration with Google Meet for AI-powered meeting assistance
• Calendar integration for scheduling-specific Gems
• Gmail integration for email management AI assistants
• Google Docs integration for document-specific AI helpers

Conclusion

Google’s introduction of Gems sharing marks a significant milestone in collaborative AI usage, bringing the platform closer to competitive parity with OpenAI’s offerings while leveraging Google’s existing infrastructure advantages. Turn your favorite Gems into a shared resource so you can prompt less and create more.

The integration with Google Drive’s familiar sharing paradigm lowers the barrier to adoption while providing robust security and permission controls. For organizations and families alike, this feature enables more efficient AI collaboration and knowledge sharing.

As the AI landscape continues evolving, features like Gems sharing represent the future of personalized, collaborative artificial intelligence. By making custom AI assistants shareable and collaborative, Google positions Gemini as a platform for collective AI advancement rather than individual tool usage.

For users interested in maximizing their AI toolkit, exploring complementary AI tools for affiliate marketing can create comprehensive workflows that leverage both Google’s Gemini Gems and specialized marketing automation platforms.

FAQ

What are Google Gemini Gems?

Gemini Gems are custom AI assistants that you can create and personalize to be experts on specific topics or tasks. They help with various workflows by following specific instructions you provide.

Who can share Gemini Gems?

Gems sharing is available for Gemini Advanced, Business, and Enterprise subscribers in over 150 countries. Personal users with basic Gemini access cannot currently share Gems.

How does Gems sharing work?

Sharing works exactly like Google Drive file sharing. You click the “Share” button next to any Gem you’ve created, enter email addresses or generate a link, and set appropriate permissions.

Can I control who can edit my shared Gems?

Yes, just like Google Drive files, you can control who can view, edit, or make copies of your shared Gems through familiar permission settings.

Are shared Gems stored in Google Drive?

Yes, when you share a Gem, it appears in a “Gemini Gems” folder in Google Drive, making it easy to manage alongside other shared files.

Can I share Gems from the mobile app?

Currently, Gems can only be shared through the Gemini web interface. Mobile sharing capabilities are in development but not yet available.

What happens when someone shares a Gem with me?

Shared Gems appear in a “Shared with me” section of your Gem manager. You can use them immediately, make copies, or edit them based on the permissions granted.

Are there any limitations on what Gems can be shared?

Gems are only shareable when they contain custom knowledge uploaded from your device or files from Google Drive. Gems with other file types (like code folders or emails) cannot be shared.