Google has added a new feature to its AI notebook application, NotebookLM. Users can now create podcasts with two AI voices based on the content they input into the tool. This innovative feature brings new possibilities to content creation, although it still has some limitations.
NotebookLM: From text to podcast
In summer 2023, Google released NotebookLM, an application that uses AI support to create summaries, glossaries, or scripts from various, even complex user inputs. Since June 2024, this AI notebook tool has been available in many countries. Over the past few months, Google has enhanced this application with several new features. Now, a new exciting feature called “Audio Overview,” which was teased at Google I/O 2024, has been added.
How Audio Overview works
NotebookLM can now convert users’ input sources and documents into podcasts. The material is not just summarized; two AI hosts also make connections between different topics and discuss them, as Google explains. To start, users open an existing notebook or create a new one, then click on “Notebook Guide” at the bottom and “Create” in the top right corner.
Current limitations and performance
Currently, the podcast function is only available in English, although NotebookLM can process content in other languages. The AI podcast hosts, one male and one female AI voice, then discuss the content in English. In our brief test, converting an event preparation script into a podcast took only a few minutes. Google notes that larger amounts of input may take longer to process.
AI hosts’ delivery and content quality
In our test case, a well-filled A4 page was transformed into a five-minute podcast, with the two AI voices engaging in a fairly lively discussion on the given topic. The hosts frequently comment on each other’s presentations with an “Aha” or “Exactly,” and occasional brief laughter is included. While it’s noticeable that these are AI-generated voices, the tool performs reasonably well in converting content into a podcast format. However, it often sounds as if the content is being read rather than spoken freely.
Challenges and inaccuracies
Colleagues at The Verge noticed hallucinations, such as when discussing Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb. The fierce competition for invention, patenting, and marketing is portrayed as an example of successful teamwork. The AI also struggles with pronouncing and explaining certain terms, referring to platinum as “bling-bling metal.” The consistently casual tone is also notable, raising questions about its appropriateness for more serious topics like war or death.
Fact-checking remains crucial
Google states that the podcast function cannot provide a comprehensive or objective overview of a topic but simply reflects the given content. Like all AI tools, NotebookLM can make mistakes. “Therefore, you should independently verify all facts,” warns the corresponding disclaimer.