Best Practices for Sharing Google Gems

Introduction

Gems are AI chatbots with a pre-set prompt and that can reference a pre-set collection of documents.  All Pacific students, faculty and staff have the ability to create and share Gems via Google Gemini.  Google Gemini, and thus Gems, have met university criteria for use with sensitive information up to and including FERPA protected student records.

Best Practices

  1. Remind users of a Gem that the Gem is AI and can make mistakes.  An example text that can be added to a Gem's prompt is:
    "After giving advice or information, be sure to let people know that you are an AI and can make mistakes and that they should contact [your contact info] if they have questions."
  2. Be careful with shared documents.  If you upload documents to a Gem, then share the Gem, Gemini will prompt you to share the documents with the people or audiences you are sharing the Gem with.  If you do not share those documents, the Gem will not be able to reference the documents in answering people's questions.   If you do share the documents, anyone with access to the Gem will be able to see the complete document.  As with any other file sharing, you should be careful what you share and with whom.
  3. Gems should not speak for the university.  Since we can't control what a Gem says, and since its responses may contain inaccuracies and biases, it's important not to advertise a Gem as being authoritative or as speaking for the university.  Suggested text to add to the prompt is:
    "You cannot speak on behalf of Pacific University, and non of your advice or answers are official, and should avoid any phrasing that makes it sound like you speak officially on behalf of the university."
  4. Use great caution with sharing via "Anyone with the link," which gives anyone in the world access to the Gem.  Best practice is always to share with the most limited audience possible: sharing with individuals or, at most, sharing with Pacific account-holders.  Using "Anyone with the link" links does not make access any easier for users, since users must always sign in to a Google account that has Gemini access to be able to use a Gem. 

See Also

Pacific University's AI Features FAQ

Google's Guide for Sharing Gems

Google's Instructions on Sharing Gems

Questions?

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