Google on Wednesday announced that it's adding a new “audio summary” feature to its AI note-taking and research app, NotebookLM, which gives users another way to digest and understand the information in documents they upload to the app, such as course readings or legal summaries.
Since its launch, NotebookLM has used text to summarize and explain material, but now it can use audio to explain it to you. This feature is made for people who understand material better by hearing an explanation rather than reading it.
An AI-generated virtual host uses your conversational voice patterns to provide an overview of the material you share. The host will do things like share facts and interesting topics from source materials and use metaphors to explain complex concepts. Google says that listening to these discussions can help users find new connections between documents and find inspiration for their drafts.
To start an audio overview, open an existing notebook, go to the notebook guide, and click[生成]You will need to click the button below to generate the audio conversation, which may take up to 5 minutes and is currently only available in English.
You can also download the conversations to listen to on the go for an instant understanding of the source material.
Google says voice conversations are still in beta and conversations may contain inaccuracies.
The company first demoed NotebookLM under the name Project Tailwind at Google I/O in June 2023, and launched it in the U.S. in December last year for all users aged 18 and over. The app is currently available in more than 200 countries and in more than 108 languages.