Google is retiring Gems, the customizable assistants inside its Gemini chatbot, and replacing them with a feature called Skills, according to reports from Teknoloji haberleri - LOG, ShiftDelete.Net, CHIP Online and Teknolojioku. The change was reported on Monday, September 28, 2026. OpenAI is likewise removing its GPTs, the LOG headline states, placing both companies' custom assistant tools on the way out.
The Turkish outlets frame the shift as the end of an era for Gems and the arrival of Skills in its place. Teknolojioku describes the move as Google converting Gemini Gems into Skills, while ShiftDelete.Net and CHIP Online both report that the Gems period is ending and Skills is coming. The reports do not detail how Skills will differ from Gems, how existing Gems will be handled, or when the transition takes effect. They also give no specifics on OpenAI's timeline for winding down GPTs.
Custom assistants have been a visible part of both platforms, letting users build task-specific versions of the underlying chatbots. The parallel decisions by Google and OpenAI suggest a broader rethink of how these personalized tools are packaged and named, though the available reporting does not explain the reasoning behind either company's move.
What to watch next: official confirmation from Google and OpenAI, along with any guidance on what happens to users' existing Gems and GPTs.
