How Custom GPTs Are Changing Work: A Practical Guide for Modern Teams

The way people work is shifting faster than anyone expected. Not long ago, building your own AI assistant felt like something only large tech companies could do. Today, a marketing manager in JLT, a café owner in Sharjah, and a logistics team in Abu Dhabi can all create custom AI tools in minutes—not months. It often starts with a simple experiment: a small team trying to handle everyday tasks more efficiently. That’s usually where the story begins.

This shift is happening worldwide. Custom AI assistants—whether built with OpenAI’s GPTs, Google’s new Gems, or Anthropic’s Claude Projects—are becoming one of the fastest-growing workplace trends. Teams use them to organise information, automate repetitive work, generate content, and support customers. Yet many still ask the same question: How do these assistants actually work, and which one is right for us?

The rise of custom AI isn’t just about new technology. It’s about solving real problems: too much admin, too little time, inconsistent results, and difficulty keeping information organised. Insightful research from OpenAI shows that businesses adopting AI assistants see major productivity gains and faster adaptation across teams. It’s a reminder that tools alone don’t transform work—but the right tools, matched with the right workflows, absolutely do.

This guide explores the growing ecosystem of custom AI assistants, compares GPTs, Gems, and Claude Projects, and shares practical examples for businesses of all sizes.

Why Custom AI Assistants Matter

The biggest shift in AI adoption isn’t that people are using AI—it’s that they’re creating their own versions of it. Instead of a single chatbot trying to do everything, teams now build specialized assistants that understand their tone, tasks, and processes.

These assistants help businesses:

save time on repetitive tasks
create consistent, high-quality output
organize internal knowledge
improve customer communication
reduce workload across departments

From solopreneurs running online shops to mid-sized agencies managing multiple clients, the impact is real and immediate.

Understanding the Landscape: GPTs, Gems & Projects

Three major players offer customizable AI assistants today, each with unique strengths.

OpenAI Custom GPTs

Custom GPTs allow anyone to create an AI assistant tailored to specific workflows. According to OpenAI, users can define instructions, upload their own knowledge, add tools or API actions, and refine behaviour through natural language.

A companion guide explains the creation process as a simple sequence: define purpose, set instructions, upload content, enable the right capabilities, and test. According to OpenAI’s GPT creation guide, even non-technical users can build sophisticated assistants in minutes.

Teams typically use GPTs for:

content creation and SEO
summarizing research or PDFs
handling customer FAQs
managing multilingual content
automating internal workflows

For Dubai-based companies working across English and Arabic, this bilingual capability is especially valuable.

Google Gemini Gems

Google’s equivalent to custom GPTs is called Gems—personalized versions of Gemini that adapt to your tasks, tone, and workflow. According to Google’s overview, users can design Gems that automate planning, writing, email handling, or data tasks across Gmail, Docs, and Sheets.

A setup guide from Google explains that building Gems involves setting preferences, defining behaviour, and adding context. According to Google Support, Gems are ideal for people and teams deeply embedded in Google Workspace.

This close integration makes Gems particularly useful for:

writing marketing copy directly in Docs
analyzing spreadsheets in Sheets
drafting and replying to emails in Gmail
coordinating team tasks

Zapier’s review highlights how Gems help users automate repetitive writing and planning tasks at impressive speed.
According to Zapier, Gems offer one of the simplest entry points into custom AI assistants.

Anthropic Claude Projects

Claude takes a different approach with its Projects feature. Instead of creating a single customized assistant, Projects act as structured spaces where Claude keeps context across multiple files, instructions, and tasks. According to Anthropic, this helps Claude produce more consistent, context-aware results—especially for long or complex work.

Claude Projects are excellent for:

editorial planning
long-form content creation
research-heavy tasks
strategy documents
multi-file reasoning

The platform’s simplicity makes it popular among writers, researchers, and content teams. According to Claude’s support article, Projects allow Claude to manage large sets of information without losing context.

Social Media Examiner notes that many marketers use Claude Projects to create detailed outlines, scripts, and content structures. According to Social Media Examiner, this feature helps produce consistent, high-quality work across teams.

Where These Tools Overlap — and Where They Differ

All three platforms enable users to:

build task-specific AI assistants
personalize instructions and tone
upload or reference internal documents
support team workflows
streamline repeated tasks

Their strengths differ based on what users need most.

OpenAI GPTs: Best for businesses that need automation, structured workflows, and deep customization through tools and actions.

Google Gems: Ideal for teams living inside Google Workspace who want easy automation across Gmail, Docs, and Sheets.

Claude Projects: Perfect for content creation, strategic writing, and research that requires long attention span and nuanced reasoning.

Many organizations blend these tools instead of choosing just one.

What Teams Are Building: Real-World Use Cases

Here are practical examples across industries in Dubai and globally.

Marketing & Content

A GPT generating localized campaigns for Dubai, Riyadh, or Doha
A Gem drafting proposals directly inside Google Docs
A Claude Project managing scripts, outlines, and long-form articles

Real Estate

A GPT creating property descriptions from structured data
A Gem preparing weekly market updates in Sheets
A Claude Project organizing client notes and research

Education & Training

GPTs as virtual tutors
Gems to manage lesson plans and worksheets
Claude Projects to assemble course manuals

HR & Operations

GPTs screening CVs
Gems coordinating hiring workflows
Claude Projects rewriting manuals and policy documents

Small Businesses

A GPT handling customer service replies
A Gem generating invoices or quotes
A Claude Project organizing proposals and templates

These assistants help businesses operate with more consistency and less effort—something especially valuable in fast-paced markets across the UAE.

How These Assistants Are Built (Simple Overview)

Most custom assistants follow a similar creation pattern:

Define the purpose
Add instructions and behavioural guidelines
Provide knowledge files or references
Choose tools or capabilities
Test and refine

According to Zapier, starting with a small, high-impact task is the easiest way to build momentum.

What Data Reveals About This Shift

Several insights stand out:

AI assistants significantly reduce repetitive manual work
Teams collaborate faster when knowledge is centralized
Work becomes more consistent when rules are built into the assistant
Small businesses gain capabilities once only available to large enterprises

OpenAI’s recent analysis reinforces this point—organizations that adopt AI assistants early tend to adapt faster and gain meaningful productivity improvements.

Moving Forward With Confidence

Building your first custom GPT, Gem, or Claude Project doesn’t require deep technical skills. Start with one workflow your team uses every day—content drafting, reporting, customer communication, or planning—and turn it into a simple assistant. Over time, you can refine and expand it.

If you’d like structured support to build these skills, SEO International offers practical programs designed for beginners and working professionals across Dubai, the GCC, and beyond. Many learners begin with our accessible marketing courses, while others explore advanced workflows through the SEO, AI & Content Marketing Course, where we combine AI techniques with real-world marketing scenarios.

For teams wanting clearer direction, our AI consulting services—along with specialized AI SEO consulting—offer practical guidance to implement AI tools responsibly and strategically.

Wherever you begin, the goal is simple: understand the possibilities, build confidence, and design workflows that support your business in a more modern, efficient, and human-centered way.