In addition to Gemini, which is its competitor to ChatGPT, Google has many other projects related to generative artificial intelligence. And among the products in development that have recently attracted media attention is NotebookLM. Initially called Project Tailwind, it was renamed NotebookLM in July. And since then, Google has continued to expand the general public’s access to this tool. Furthermore, recently, NotebookLM has made the headlines in many media, due to the many possible uses, as well as its embedded artificial intelligence.
An AI that analyzes documents for you
In summary, NotebookLM is a notes application. However, thanks to the integration of Gemini AI, it also includes powerful AI-based functions. Google presented NotebookLM as a research assistant, but it can be used by anyone to summarize lessons, prepare a file, or simply learn new things with the help of artificial intelligence.
How does it work? The NotebookLM user just needs to provide sources to the AI, such as articles, PDF documents, YouTube videos, audio recordings or images. Then, NotebookLM’s AI will record and understand all this information. And this will allow the user to ask Gemini to create summaries, summaries, or ask questions whose answers will be based on the documents proposed as a source. Basically, it’s as if you have developed a personalized version of Gemini whose responses will be based on the documents you send to it.
A concrete example
To give you a more concrete idea of how NotebookLM is useful, here is a concrete example. I used three articles from Presse-citron.net as a source: a review of the Pixel 9, a review of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, as well as a recent article on Google Pixel smartphone shipments in the third quarter. I also added a video from 01net that compares the Pixel 9 series models. From this information, NotebookLM generated a summary. And I have the possibility to ask questions related to the Pixel 9 series to its artificial intelligence. Otherwise, this one also suggests questions to start a discussion, such as “What is the main difference between the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and other models in the Pixel 9 series?” or “What makes the Pixel 9 Pro Fold more attractive than the Pixel 9 Pro XL?”
The answers are provided almost instantly, but Google still warns that you should always check the information provided by its AI. However, these checks are not difficult to do, since the answers provided by NotebookLM include references, such as on Wikipedia articles, which allow you to compare the information provided by the AI with the source information that made it possible to generate the sentence or paragraph.
“Think of it as a virtual research assistant capable of summarizing facts, explaining complex ideas, and brainstorming new connections, all based on the sources you select”Google explained in July. In the example below, I simulated using NotebookLM to learn everything about Google’s new smartphones. However, this application’s AI can be used to analyze pages of PDF documents, complex data or even a series of graphs. In essence, the potential uses seem almost unlimited.
As a bonus, NotebookLM is capable of generating podcasts
In September, Google added a new, ultra-convenient feature to NotebookLM: the ability to automatically generate an “audio preview” from source content. What the name of this feature doesn’t indicate is that these audio previews are presented in a podcast format. For example, from the sources I gave about the Pixel 9 Pro series, NotebookLM generated a 9-minute audio file that simulates an interview in which an expert answers a journalist’s questions about Google smartphones .
In other words, NotebookLM also allows Internet users to automatically generate podcasts on topics that interest them, and from sources that they consider relevant. The tool created a buzz in the tech press thanks to this functionality. But for the moment, it is still only available in English. And recently, Google has also improved this functionality, allowing the user to personalize the content of audio previews. Using text, the user can give instructions to the generator, as if giving directions to the host of a podcast to guide the discussion.
A version for businesses is coming
In the announcement of this new feature, Google also indicates that NotebookLM is already used by millions of people. Furthermore, since October, Google no longer considers NotebookLM as an “experimental” product. Furthermore, Google is preparing the launch of a “Business” version of NotebookLM which will be integrated into its Workspace suite and which will target companies, organizations and universities. Indeed, there is significant demand for this target, since NotebookLM, in its current form, is already used by more than 80,000 organizations.
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