What Changes in Your AI Tools in 2027
Around the turn of the year, a few AI tools you may use are changing: Gems in Gemini, custom GPTs in ChatGPT, watermarks in text and a Copilot promotion. Here is what happens when and what to do now, each with a source.
The short version
- Gemini: on personal accounts, Gems become read-only on November 17, 2026 and are removed on December 17, 2026. Save the files that won't make the move before then.
- ChatGPT: custom GPTs are retired on December 11, 2026. Rebuild your most important GPTs as a project before then.
- Watermarks: Claude marks text from newer models worldwide, ChatGPT gradually in the EU. You don't need to turn anything on, but it's good to know.
- Copilot: the promotion for the Copilot Business add-on ends on December 31, 2026.
- EU AI Act: the dates are in a short overview further down.
The dates at a glance
| Date | What | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Claude watermarks text from newer models, worldwide | Anthropic | |
| ChatGPT gradually watermarks text, in the EU only | OpenAI | |
| Gemini Gems become read-only (personal accounts, 18 and over) | ||
| Custom GPTs are retired (certain workspaces on February 11, 2027) | OpenAI | |
| Gemini Gems are removed (personal accounts, 18 and over) | ||
| Promotion for the Copilot Business add-on ends | Microsoft | |
| Gems become skills on Workspace business, enterprise and nonprofit accounts | ||
| Gems become skills on Workspace education accounts |
Gemini: Gems become skills
On personal Google accounts for users 18 and over, Gems become read-only on November 17, 2026, so you can only open them. On December 17, 2026, Google removes them from Gemini Apps. Google recreates your Gems as skills automatically, but not every file makes the move. Workspace business, enterprise and nonprofit accounts follow in March 2027, education accounts in June 2027.
What to do: before December 17, save the files that won't make the move. Then check that your skills work the way your Gems did.
- Learn moreGuide: Gemini Gems are becoming skills
ChatGPT: custom GPTs are being retired
Personal ChatGPT accounts, meaning Free, Go, Plus and Pro, can no longer create new GPTs. Existing GPTs keep working until they are retired on December 11, 2026. According to OpenAI, certain workspaces have until February 11, 2027. As the successor, OpenAI names plugins.
What to do: copy out the instructions and files of your most important GPTs and set them up as a project before December 11. ChatGPT and Claude call it a project, Gemini a skill, so you are not tied to one tool.
- Learn moreGuide: Create your own AI assistant
Claude and ChatGPT: watermarks in text
Claude has marked text with an invisible watermark since September 2026, worldwide. Newer models do it from launch, and Anthropic is adding it to older ones. According to OpenAI, ChatGPT has been marking text gradually since October 2026, in the EU only.
What to know: the provider adds the mark, there is nothing for you to turn on. What it detects and where its limits are is in the guide.
Microsoft: Copilot Business promotion ends
For the Copilot Business add-on, Microsoft lists a promotional price that runs from July 1 to December 31, 2026. It is only for existing customers with an eligible Business plan, requires an annual commitment and applies to the first year only.
What to do: if you plan to roll out Copilot Business anyway, look at the promotion before December 31. What each plan includes and costs is in the guide.
- Learn moreGuide: Copilot in Microsoft 365
What about the EU AI Act?
According to the AI Act, Article 4 on AI literacy has applied since February 2, 2025, and Article 50 on labeling since August 2, 2026. For marking content from older systems, the regulation sets a transitional period until December 2, 2026; the guide on AI watermarks quotes the wording. For questions, the European Commission runs the AI Act Service Desk, and in Germany the Federal Network Agency's AI Service Desk answers questions.
Frequently asked questions
On personal Google accounts for users 18 and over, Gems become read-only on November 17, 2026 and are removed on December 17, 2026. Save the files that won't make the move before then. Workspace accounts follow in 2027.
According to OpenAI, on December 11, 2026, and on February 11, 2027 for certain workspaces. Personal accounts already can't create new GPTs.
Yes. Claude has marked text from newer models since September 2026, worldwide, and ChatGPT gradually since October 2026 in the EU, according to OpenAI. The mark is invisible and added by the provider. I explain how it all works in my guide to AI watermarks.
On December 31, 2026. According to Microsoft, it is only for existing customers with an eligible Business plan and applies to the first year only.
Sources
Retrieved on November 3, 2026.
- Google: “About the transition from Gems to skills”
- OpenAI Help Center: “Creating and editing GPTs”
- OpenAI Help Center: “Custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ”
- Anthropic Help Center: “How Claude marks AI-generated content”
- Claude Platform: “Release notes”, entry of September 1, 2026
- OpenAI: “Our approach to EU text provenance rules”, October 5, 2026
- Microsoft: Copilot plans and pricing for business
- EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (Artificial Intelligence Act), consolidated version of July 27, 2026
- European Commission: “AI Act Single Information Platform | AI Act Service Desk”
- Bundesnetzagentur (Germany's Federal Network Agency): AI Service Desk
Related
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