Google Gems vs OpenAI GPTs: What They Really Do and Which One You Should Use
- What Gems and GPTs actually are
- Where Google Gems shine
- Where OpenAI GPTs take the lead
- Side-by-side examples that show the real difference
- Which one to use in which situation
- What this means for the future of AI assistance
What Gems and GPTs actually are
Even though the two technologies are often mentioned together, they are designed with completely different goals in mind.
Google Gems are personal productivity assistants that live inside the Google ecosystem. They plug directly into Gmail, Calendar, YouTube, Maps, Drive, Docs and Sheets. A Gem understands context that already exists in your Google account — what files you open, what emails you draft, what videos you watch — and it can take action inside those apps without any setup.
OpenAI GPTs are customizable AI agents that behave more like mini-applications. You can give them instructions, upload knowledge, connect APIs, add tools, and turn them into task-running systems. GPTs can automate workflows, fetch data, process documents, trigger actions, run logic, and even become products you sell or publish.
In simple terms: a Gem helps you get things done inside your daily apps. A GPT helps you build and automate systems that operate beyond them.
Where Google Gems shine
Gems are perfect when you want immediate help with everyday tasks. No configuration. No integrations. No workflow design. You simply ask, and it acts directly inside your Google environment.
Here are practical examples you can only do this easily with a Gem:
- Rewrite an email inside Gmail: “Make this more professional, keep it concise.” The Gem edits your draft directly in Gmail without copy-pasting.
- Summarise a YouTube video as you watch: The Gem recognises the open video and provides a summary without needing transcripts or plugins.
- Turn a messy Google Doc into a polished presentation: One request transforms structure, tone and design — instantly inside Slides.
- Extract key points from dozens of PDFs in Drive: The Gem reads them, summarises them, and produces a structured document without downloads.
- Create a travel plan from your Google Maps saves: It understands the places you saved and builds an itinerary directly inside Maps.
No API keys. No setup. It works simply because it lives inside Google’s ecosystem. That makes Gems ideal for students, employees, solopreneurs, and anyone who spends most of their digital day in Google Workspace.
Where OpenAI GPTs take the lead
GPTs are much more than assistants. They behave like lightweight applications that can run your workflows, process data, take structured actions, or even integrate with business tools.
Here are some real examples of what GPTs can do that Gems never will:
- Build a lead generation assistant that extracts website contact data, validates emails with an API, and pushes results into HubSpot or Notion.
- Create a content automation system that takes a topic, fetches research, generates scripts, creates images, structures captions and exports everything to Google Drive or ClickUp.
- Process thousands of customer messages and tag them automatically in a CRM using an API integration.
- Run a weekly financial summary: The GPT logs into dashboards through an API, downloads CSVs, analyses them, and produces insights.
- Generate tools you can sell: GPTs can be published, shared or sold as automated micro-products or assistants.
While Gems improve your personal workflow, GPTs let you build workflows, automate processes, and create new digital products.
Side-by-side examples that show the real difference
Imagine two people trying to perform the same tasks. One uses Gems. The other uses GPTs.
Email productivity
- Gem: rewrites the email directly in Gmail, formats it, fixes tone, and saves it as a draft.
- GPT: reads a folder of incoming emails via API, categorises them, triggers automated replies, logs them into Notion and alerts you about urgent messages.
Video summarisation
- Gem: summarises the YouTube video you are watching right now.
- GPT: processes a list of YouTube URLs, extracts transcripts via API, generates insights, compares videos and produces a report.
Document organisation
- Gem: cleans up your Google Doc, reorganises structure and turns it into Slides.
- GPT: reads 200 documents uploaded as knowledge, merges them, finds contradictions, creates summaries and provides recommendations.
Business automation
- Gem: cannot automate business processes.
- GPT: connects APIs, runs workflows, manages tasks, triggers external actions, and performs full business logic.
The difference becomes obvious: Gems are assistants. GPTs are agents.
Which one to use in which situation
You can think of it as a very simple rule.
Use Google Gems when you want:
- Personal productivity
- Frictionless setup
- Zero technical knowledge
- Quick help inside Gmail, Docs, YouTube
- Simple summarisation or rewriting
Use OpenAI GPTs when you want:
- Automating tasks
- Building tools
- Generating leads
- Connecting APIs
- Running complex workflows
- Publishing or selling agents
They are not competitors. They serve different jobs. Many people will eventually use both — one for their daily life, one for their professional system-building.
What this means for the future of AI assistance
The rise of Gems and GPTs shows that the AI world is separating into two clear layers:
- Personal AI that works silently inside your daily tools
- Professional AI that builds, automates and extends your business
Both are powerful. Both will grow massively in 2025 and beyond. But knowing when to use which one will determine how much real impact you get from AI.
Gems simplify your day. GPTs amplify your output. Together they unlock a new way of working where assistance and automation blend into your everyday workflow — quietly, intelligently, and constantly improving.