Google can now transform your research into an AI-generated podcast, complete with two “hosts” who discuss what you’ve found out.
This experimental feature is currently available in NotebookLM, the AI note-taking app it launched last year. According to Google, it can “summarise your material, make connections between topics, and banter back and forth.”
Dubbed Audio Overview, Google has promised that this new functionality offers “a new way to turn your documents into engaging audio discussions.” However, it has also emphasized that the generated discussions are not a comprehensive or objective view of a topic, but merely a reflection of the sources you have uploaded. Thus, to obtain a satisfactory podcast, you must be careful with your research.
Here are the steps you need to follow to try it out:
- Go to NotebookLM.
- Create a new notebook.
- Add at least one source.
- In your Notebook guide, click on the “Generate” button to create an Audio Overview.
According to The Verge, who tried the new NotebookLM feature, the results were “uncanny”. The two hosts had a cavalier discussion involving Thomas Edison and could almost be mistaken for human podcasters, as they use modern phrases. However, there were some notable quirks. For example, the AI sometimes spelled out words and phrases like “P-L-U-S”.
Thus, while the feature is entertaining and shows great potential, it must still overcome limitations in order to be properly useful.
