Tips to Get Started with Gems in Gemini

The world of AI is evolving rapidly, and one of the newest tools making waves is Gems, a feature in Google’s Gemini platform. Gems are personalized AI assistants that can be tailored to meet your specific needs, offering customized advice and solutions at the touch of a button.

Recently launched for Gemini Advanced, Business, and Enterprise users, Gems is already changing the way people work, learn, and play. 

To make sure you’re getting the most out of this powerful tool, the Google team spoke with Deven Tokuno, the product lead for Gems. She shared five easy tips to help you get started, making this new AI tool work for you in the best way possible.

What Are Gems, and Why Should You Care?

At its core, Gems is a feature within Google’s Gemini platform that allows you to create your own AI “experts” or assistants. These AI experts are designed to help you with specific tasks, from simple things like organizing your schedule to more complex activities like brainstorming business ideas or helping you learn a new skill.

The beauty of Gems is that they are customizable. You decide what kind of expert you want and give it specific instructions. 

For example, you could create a Gem that acts as a writing coach to improve your emails, a career guide to help with interview practice, or even a fun one like a dinosaur birthday party planner for your child’s upcoming event.

The best part? Once you create your custom Gem, you can return to it whenever you need help, making it feel like your own personal AI teammate. 

Here are the five key tips from Deven Tokuno to help you get the most out of this exciting tool.

1. Start with Premade Gems for Instant Help

When you’re new to Gems, the easiest way to get started is by using the premade options available in Gemini. You don’t have to create a Gem from scratch right away; instead, explore the pre-built Gems that are designed to help with common tasks. These include options like Brainstormer, Career Guide, Coding Partner, Learning Coach, and Writing Editor.

You can find these premade Gems in Gemini’s left-hand panel under “Gems” or in the Gem manager, also located on the left. Deven suggests this as a great starting point because these Gems are already designed to solve common problems.

And here’s a tip –  If a premade Gem is close to what you need but not perfect, you can make a copy of it and then customize it. “You can rewrite or add to the pre-filled instructions,” Deven explains. This is as simple as copying a document in Google Docs—just make the changes you need, give it a new name, and you’ve got your own customized version of the Gem.

For example, if the Brainstormer Gem almost fits your needs for creative writing but could use a tweak, just copy it and adjust the instructions to suit your style.

2. Save Time by Creating Gems for Repetitive Tasks

One of the best uses for Gems is to simplify tasks you find yourself doing over and over again. If you regularly use Gemini to help with things like email writing, scheduling, or even correcting your writing, creating a Gem for that task can save you a lot of time.

“Many of us have tasks we return to Gemini for over and over,” says Deven. For instance, one of her team members often struggles with run-on sentences in their writing.

Instead of constantly typing the same prompt—something like, “be a writing coach and help me fix run-on sentences”—they created a custom Gem for it. Now, they just click their “Writing Coach” Gem whenever they need help with sentence structure, and the AI does the rest.

This approach works for all kinds of repetitive tasks. By creating a Gem for a common request, you won’t have to repeat yourself every time you need help. Your Gem already knows what you need and is ready to assist you with just one click.

3. Let Gemini Help You with Gem Instructions

Not sure how to create the perfect instructions for your Gem? Don’t worry—Gemini can help you with that. 

When you’re setting up your Gem, there’s a magic wand icon at the bottom of the instruction box that you can use to let Gemini suggest better or more detailed instructions. It’s like having an AI assistant to help you set up your AI assistant!

“We found that people really love this feature,” says Deven. Not only does it help you create clear and specific instructions, but it also teaches you how to write better prompts—so it’s a learning experience, too. If you don’t like the suggestions, you can always undo them or edit them to suit your needs.

This feature is handy when you’re creating a Gem for a more complex task. Let’s say you want to create a Gem to help with job interview practice but don’t know how to word the instructions. You could use the magic wand, and Gemini might suggest something like: “Act as a hiring manager at a tech company and ask me common interview questions.”

4. Use Detailed Instructions for Better Results

The more specific you are with your instructions, the better the results will be. Gems are most useful when they understand the full context of the task at hand. For instance, if you’re preparing for a job interview, don’t just tell the Gem to ask you questions—be more detailed. You could say something like: “Act as a hiring manager at a law firm and ask me legal-related interview questions.”

This level of detail helps Gemini give you more relevant and tailored feedback. Deven has seen people use Gems for all kinds of creative purposes. Some users are even using Gems to rehearse for difficult conversations they need to have with colleagues or friends. By simulating real-life scenarios, Gems can help you feel more prepared.

You can even use Gems for fun activities. Deven talks about one user who created a dinosaur-themed birthday party planner. The Gem takes on the persona of a T-Rex and helps plan a kid’s party in a fun and engaging way. “You can tell your kids that a dinosaur helped plan their party!” she laughs.

The takeaway? Get creative with your instructions, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box. The more you tell your Gem about the task, the better the experience will be.

5. Think of Gems as Your Personal AI Teammates

Finally, Deven suggests thinking of your Gems as a team of personal assistants who are ready to help you in different parts of your life. You can create Gems for your work life, personal projects, hobbies, and even everyday chores.

For instance, Deven uses a Doc advisor Gem and an Email simplifier Gem for her work tasks. But she also has Gems for her personal life, like a Fridge forager that suggests dinner recipes based on what she has in her kitchen and a Reading buddy that recommends books based on her current interests.

“I can even tell my Fridge forager Gem to act like a French sous chef to add some flair to my cooking,” Deven says. Whether you’re working on a big project at the office or just trying to decide what to cook for dinner, there’s a Gem that can make your life easier.

The real power of Gems lies in their ability to adapt to all areas of your life. You can create one for every task, interest, or hobby, making AI not just practical but also a little bit fun.

The Future of Personalized AI: Impacts and Predictions

Google’s introduction of “Gems” is changing the way we interact with AI. Instead of just offering general help, Gems allows users to create their own personalized AI experts. This makes AI more useful and tailored to individual needs, offering more power and practicality.

As more people and businesses start using tools like Gems, AI will likely become a natural part of everyday life. Whether it’s managing projects, learning new things, or handling personal tasks, these custom AI experts will help boost productivity and creativity.

What’s exciting is how flexible these tools will be. With the ability to connect to apps like Google Maps, Google Flights, and YouTube, Gems can provide even more personalized solutions, like helping plan trips or even organize events.

Key Takeaways

• Explore existing Gems for common tasks like brainstorming, learning, or career coaching.
• Create custom Gems for tasks you find yourself repeating to streamline your workflow.
• Use the magic wand icon to improve or expand your Gem instructions.
• Detailed instructions lead to more accurate and relevant AI responses.
• Set up different Gems for work, hobbies, and everyday life to make AI a part of your routine.