You can now listen to your sources in an AI podcast form with NotebookLM

NotebookLM, Google’s AI-powered research assistant, has been steadily leveling up since its debut. From global expansion to multimodal capabilities, it’s getting better and better at helping you wrangle complex information. And now, Google has officially released a wild new feature that was teased back at Google I/O in May that could change the way you interact with your sources. It’s called Audio Overview and it can turn docs, slides, charts, and more into a back-and-forth audio discussion that sounds like a podcast. Yep, now you can listen to a conversation about your sources.

With a single click, two AI hosts will launch into a “deep dive” discussion based on whatever sources you’ve uploaded. They’ll summarize key points, connect ideas, and even throw in a little banter for good measure. Need to digest that research paper on the go? No problem, just download the audio file and take it with you.

Side note: I think these AI hosts sound pretty darn similar to Dax and Monica from the podcast Armchair Expert! Listen to the sample below and let me know if you hear it! This was generated in just a few minutes based on our recent article about the new Sanitize feature on Chromebooks.

It’s important to remember that these AI discussions aren’t a definitive analysis of your topic. The Audio Overviews simply mirror the information you provide and Google points out that this is still experimental, so expect some hiccups. Larger documents will mean longer generation times, and for now, the discussions are in English only. Google also says there’s also the potential for inaccuracies, so a healthy dose of critical thinking is still advised.

Ready to give it a whirl? Head over to NotebookLM, create a notebook, add your source material, and hit the “Generate” button under Audio Overview in the Notebook guide. Google says they are eager for feedback as they fine-tune this feature, so don’t be shy about sharing your thoughts over in their Discord server.

Audio Overview is an exciting step forward for NotebookLM and shows how AI might be able to transform how we interact with information. If you’re someone who learns better by listening, this could be a game-changer for you! So give it a try to see what the future of AI-powered learning sounds like and let me know what you think in the comments below.