Google’s NotebookLM AI Can Now Find the Right Sources for Your Project All on Its Own
How it Works
Google’s NotebookLM is a handy note-taking service, ideal for putting together any type of project that requires extensive research. Normally, you have to gather and add the necessary sources, which NotebookLM then incorporates into your project. Now, the service promises to save you even more time by collecting the right sources on its own.
The New Feature: Discover
In a blog post published Wednesday, Google announced a new NotebookLM tool known as Discover. Instead of manually scouring the web for the right sources, just describe the topic you’re researching. NotebookLM surfs the web on its own and automatically creates a curated list of relevant sources.
How to Try It Yourself
To try this out, head to the NotebookLM page and sign in with your Google account. Click the Create new button to kick off a new project. At the window to add sources, select the button for "Discover sources from the web." Type a description of your topic. If you’re stumped, click the "I’m feeling curious" button to explore a random topic chosen by the AI.
What You Can Do with the Sources
With the sources added, you can ask NotebookLM to generate a study guide, a briefing document, an FAQ, and even a timeline. Even cooler, you can ask for a podcast that features two AI-generated but human sounding hosts chatting about your topic. You’re also able to request a summary and ask questions about the topic as covered by the sources.
My Experience
On my end, I asked it to find sources for a topic on 14-inch and 15-inch laptops with the best tactile feel keyboards and the best battery life. After submitting my description, NotebookLM quickly found 10 sources. I chose to import them all and was then able to request the briefing document, other notes, and listen to a podcast on my topic.
Conclusion
The new feature is certainly a time saver since you don’t have to manually look for every possible source on your own. And Google seems to have other tricks up its sleeve for NotebookLM.
FAQs
Q: How does the Discover feature work?
A: The Discover feature uses AI to find and collect relevant sources for your notebook. You simply describe the topic you’re researching, and NotebookLM surfs the web to find the best sources.
Q: How many sources can I import?
A: You can import up to 10 sources with the Discover feature.
Q: What types of sources can I get with the Discover feature?
A: You can get a curated list of relevant sources, including articles, videos, and more.
Q: How long will it take for the Discover feature to roll out?
A: The Discover feature will start rolling out today for all NotebookLM users, and we expect the rollout to take about a week or so.
