Google may shut down "Gems"—one of the most popular customization tools for its Gemini AI assistant—as of October 20, potentially replacing it with a paid "Skills" system. Uncovered in the web app's code by Testing Catalog, this move suggests that the ability to create custom AI bots could soon be placed behind a paywall.
Changes Discovered in the Code and Potential Timeline
According to information found in Google's web app code, the Gems feature, which users specifically configure for scenarios like coding, language learning, or similar use cases, may be discontinued following its experimental phase. The unearthed text advises users to save their existing Gem content or recreate it under the "Skills" framework, which requires a paid subscription. However, because these references currently exist only at the code level and within experimental builds, it indicates that a final decision has not yet been made official.
The Balance Between Free Access and Subscription Models
Currently, Gems is available to both free and paid Gemini account holders, allowing users to build practical assistants without having to enter complex prompts. In contrast, the "Skills" feature within Gemini Spark exclusively serves Google AI Pro or Ultra subscribers. Whether Google will transition Gems entirely to a paid model during this shift, or expand the Skills feature and open it up to all users, remains a point of intense curiosity within the industry.
Industry Implications and Key Considerations
Shifting the personalization features of AI tools into paid tiers stands out as a move that could directly influence individual users' platform choices. To avoid losing their existing customized assistant data, it would be a practical approach for free users to closely monitor code-based leaks and evaluate alternative platform integrations.
Frequently Asked Questions
If Google completely shuts down the Gems feature, will the assistants we created beforehand be deleted?
According to the warnings found in the code, users are advised to save their existing Gem content; therefore, users may need to back up their data against the possibility that it will not be transferred automatically.
How will this potential move by Google affect free Gemini users?
If the Gems feature is integrated into the paid "Skills" system, free users may lose the ability to create custom AI bots without making an additional payment.
*This news article was prepared based on data published by Webtekno — Artificial Intelligence.
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