I really want to like Google Gemini. Fresh van Root runs on Google Workspace, so using an AI assistant across GDocs, GSheets, Drive, and more just makes sense. But after using it intensely for the last couple of weeks, I can say it’s just not there yet.
5 Things About Google Gemini That Make You Switch Back…
1. Conversational Understanding
With Gemini, I often found it struggling to understand my natural, conversational prompts – the kind that ChatGPT and Claude handle perfectly well. This meant I had to adopt a more formal, “writing for a machine” mindset, which slowed down my workflow.
2. Isolated Conversations Across Apps
While having the AI chat assistant integrated into Gmail, GDocs, and other Google apps is convenient, conversations are currently isolated. The true power of integration would be unlocked if I could seamlessly continue a conversation. For example, working on a Google Doc with Gemini, then moving to Gmail and drafting an email based on that same GDoc conversation – that’s not possible right now, and it’s a significant limitation.
3. Gems and Lack of Team Usage
Google’s answer to project features in ChatGPT or Claude, Gems, works well for individual use. However, there’s no team plan yet. This means you can set up Gems, but you’re the only one who can see the project. ChatGPT and Claude have already solved this with their team plans, making them more suitable for collaborative environments.
4. Disappearing Chat History
I’ve used Gemini quite a bit in Google Docs. What confuses me is that after closing and re-opening a document between work sessions, the Gemini chat history in the right-hand sidebar disappears. Collaboration would also be a valuable addition here – allowing others to see how I’ve worked with Gemini on a document. Again, this feature isn’t available yet.
5. Confusing Availability of AI Tools
Google has published various AI tools for image, audio, and video creation. However, for the average user, it’s confusing where to access what. Google Labs, AI Kitchen, Deepmind, and other sites all serve as entry points. With ChatGPT, you have one central interface to access everything, which is much simpler.
To sum up: While the output quality from Gemini is mostly acceptable, the biggest drawback to fully adopting it is the lack of seamless integration and collaboration features. I’m sure Google will address this over time, but it’s definitely not there yet.
