What you need to know
- Google details the rollout of its “Audio Overviews” for NotebookLM, which turns your provided research/content into an audio file for condensed information.
- Audio Overviews provide a listening experience delivered by two AI hosts that run through your uploaded content and “make connections.”
- NotebookLM picked up Google’s 1.5 Flash Gemini model upgrade earlier this summer, which is said to be its fastest, lightest AI.
Google’s AI-backed notetaking app is getting a nifty upgrade for those who aren’t interested in reading lengthy pieces of text.
Following a major Gemini upgrade earlier this summer, Google detailed in a Keyword post that NotebookLM is rolling out “Audio Overviews.” The company advises users that this feature is experimental and has limitations, such as long loading times for extensive notebooks.
Regardless, users can hop into NotebookLM > open a pre-existing journal > open the Notebook guide > hit “generate.”
After generating, Google states users will be in the company of two AI hosts for your research “discussion.” The AI can summarize the provided material, “make connections” between subjects, and simulate banter. The post states users can add documents, slides, charts, “and more” into NotebookLM and generate an Audio Overview.
Users can then download their generated Audio Overview to take with them and listen on the go. Additionally, the audio log will have its own space within the Notebook guide alongside options to ask additional questions, create files, and more.
Despite Google saying the AI can create a “deep dive” into any topic you’re interested in, it adds that the discussion isn’t “comprehensive.” The AI hosts are also prone to some inaccuracies, such as pronouncing words.
NotebookLM saw a limited launch during the summer of 2023 before rolling out to the public in the U.S. last December. That debut saw the company fuel it with its Gemini Pro model to help the software in “multiple ways.” That update also lets users save their interactions with NotebookLM, which also saves relevant citations for later use.
However, Google reiterated that the AI-based notebook expanded globally this summer alongside its 1.5 Flash upgrade. Gemini’s Flash model is stated to be lighter and faster with better efficiency than the 1.5 Pro variant. Google states 1.5 Flash can take in large chunks of data with the processing speeds to back up the name. Its existence in NotebookLM will most likely aid in summarization, data extraction, and table creation.
Those are all things Google touts its 1.5 Flash model as being “proficient” in.
Either way, users just getting into NotebookLM should still fact-check what the AI helper delivers. Even though the AI recites information in a condensed form, Google still provides citations. Users should take advantage of this as the company states the AI is prone to hallucinating certain facts.
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