With so many new artificial intelligence (AI) products being released every day, it is difficult to create something that really stands out, but Google’s NotebookLM has become a viral tool. Its Audio Overviews feature, which generates a two-host podcast from any content you have, has been all the rave — and it’s getting even better.
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On Friday, Google announced several updates to NotebookLM, with the biggest standout being the ability to interact with the AI hosts in Audio Overviews. Previously, users could only listen to a dynamic conversation between the hosts. Now, using your voice, you can speak to them, and, like a tutor, they will listen attentively and respond.
For example, you can ask them to explain certain concepts more or differently, and they will answer using the sources you give them, for an even more personalized learning experience.
This feature is experimental and won’t be available for past Audio Overviews. To access it, you will need to create a new Audio Overview, tap the “Interactive mode (BETA)” button, and whenever you want to interrupt while listening, just tap “join,” and the host will call on you to speak.
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Other updates to NotebookLM include a new design intended to make the experience more intuitive. NotebookLM is now divided into three areas: a “Sources” panel, where users can manage the information they input; a “Chat” panel, where users can discuss with the AI; and a “Studio” panel, where users can create new things from their sources, such as the Audio Overviews.
Google is also launching a subscription plan called NotebookLM Plus. These users get access to five times more Audio Overviews, notebooks, and sources per notebook.
It looks like this plan particularly caters to institutions that could benefit from greater access and higher security protections. Some of the other perks include shared team notebooks with usage analytics and additional privacy and security.
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According to Google, the subscription is available for businesses, schools and universities, organizations, and enterprise customers via Google Workspace starting today. Users can purchase it separately via Google Cloud with enterprise-grade data protection. In early 2025, it will also be available for all users in the Google One AI Premium plan.
