Google is preparing for another update to its AI assistant. Starting November 17, 2026, Gems — the customized versions of Gemini that were introduced in 2024 — will be completely replaced with a new tool called “skills.”
Google is preparing for another update to its AI assistant. Starting November 17, 2026, Gems — the customized versions of Gemini that were introduced in 2024 — will be completely replaced with a new tool called “skills.”
A corresponding notification has already appeared at the top of the Gems dashboard: "Gems will become skills starting November 17, 2026."
The concept of skills was originally introduced with the release of Gemini Spark. From a technical perspective, they solve the same problem as Gems - they allow you to provide custom instructions to a language model to perform specific tasks.
However, the new system offers a much higher level of convenience and flexibility:
Quick call: Skills can be activated directly in the input window using the slash symbol /. This eliminates the need to constantly go to the side menu, search for the "My Gems" section, and manually select the desired bot.
Multitasking: Within a single dialogue, you can combine and use several different skills at the same time, while Gems required a separate session for each bot.
Additional Gems Features: In turn, the original Gems allowed you to pre-pin default tools (like the image generator or Canvas) and add specific files for context, as well as share them via links. It is expected that most of these features will be adapted for new skills as well.
It seems that the launch announcement appeared a little earlier than planned, as the "Learn more" link and the "Create skills" button in the system are not yet active, writes 9to5Google.
However, Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers can already try out skill creation by going to the Gemini Spark tab. Typing the / symbol in the dialogue text field allows you to use skills directly during normal communication with the AI.
