Dear Reader,
Today I would be reviewing Google’s NotebookLM to understand what it is, key features, why it was built, and how it can be improved.
I first experienced Google’s NotebookLM when I was writing about its new Audio Overview feature in #65. Nero’s Weekly. I paused writing my article and decided to try out the feature, using my last article as the source. After a few minutes it worked, turning my article into an AI podcast:
Google announced a new ‘Audio Overview’ feature which basically turns your document into an ‘AI-enabled audio discussion’ podcast. “With one click, two AI hosts start up a lively deep dive discussion based on your sources”. Google previously built NotebookLM to help you to ‘make sense of complex information’. You simply upload a source (via PDF or URL) and it analyses the source and creates a summary, given you the ability to prompt or ask questions about your document.
Before using it, my initial thoughts were NotebookLM was a tool that enabled you to organise your information, provide summaries, and now listen to an audio overview.
How does NotebookLM explain itself in the first minute?
Today NotebookLM explains itself as: Your Personalized AI Research Assistant - The ultimate tool for understanding the information that matters most to you, built with Gemini 1.5.
Previously, it was:
AI notebook for everyone (for the initial release of on June 12, 2023).
AI-powered research and writing assistant (for the release of Google Slide support on Jun 06, 2024).
NotebookLM is a tool for understanding (for the release of YouTube support on Sep 26, 2024).
It is interesting to see how this messaging has evolved with subsequent release of new features, and different use cases.
NotebookLM: Home Page
The main call to action on the NotebookLM home page is to Try NotebookLM.
The homepage highlights the key actions with NotebookLM with GIF previews: Upload your sources, Instant insights, See the source, not just the answer, and Listen and learn on the go.
I also noticed the bold disclaimer: We value your privacy and do not use your personal data to train NotebookLM.
This addressed a big concern for users with AI, data privacy and governance.
NotebookLM: How to get started
After you select Try NotebookLM, it brings you to a page where you can upload your documents. You can upload files, URL links, YouTube links, and copied text.
For this product review I am using my latest newsletter article as the source. I uploaded it through the Link section above.
NotebookLM processes my source, giving me a summary, the option to ask questions by typing or with the suggested questions, and the audio feature to generate a deep dive audio conversation.
It also enables you to produce other artefacts (an FAQ, Study Guide, Table of Contents, Timeline, and Briefing Doc) about your document. You can also share your notebook via a generated URL.
This stage of uploading my source and generating an output was easy and intuitive to do.
Now that I have looked at the general overview, I would now review each feature - my experience, and how it can be improved.
Feature: Typing Questions
The first feature I used was typing a question about my document in the text box.
The question was: What is this document about?
As you can see in the video, NotebookLM generated a summarised answer – correctly identifying the name, goal, and different sections of the article.
Feature: Suggested Questions
The next feature I reviewed was suggested questions. I used 2 suggested questions:
My first suggested question was What are the most significant business trends highlighted in the article, and how are they impacting various sectors?
My second suggested question was How does the article demonstrate the interconnectedness of technology, business, and societal progress, particularly in Africa?
NotebookLM was able to correctly identify the trends mentioned in the article and their effects on different industries.
For the second suggested question on interconnectedness in Africa, it correctly anchored on Energy as the unifying theme across technology, business, and societal progress.
Feature: Study Guide
I was curious to see how a study guide on my article would look. I know one of the defining use cases that is emerging for AI is as an academic tutor.
The study guide feature was good, it generated a mix of short-answer quiz questions, and longer essay questions. I like the inclusion of a ‘key terms glossary’ at the end.
This would definitely help users become better learners, especially on their own content.
Feature: Creating a Table of Content
The table of content feature was useful showing the different sections of the article based on headings.
But I noticed that it showed the conclusion section with the subscribe call to action. That’s correct, but I wouldn’t include that in a table of content.
Feature: Audio Overview
The main event. This was the feature that got me initially interested in NotebookLM. I was curious to review it and also examine the generated audio conversations.
It took some time (2 minutes) to generate the audio conversation. It generated an 11 minutes conversation between 2 speakers who deep dive on your content.
Once it got started it was exciting to hear the conversation. It was lively, dynamic, with a playful ‘back and forth’ between the 2 speakers.
I also noticed that it accessed the other links (to the full stories) referenced in my article, for additional context on the topic in discussion.
I will discuss the actual conversation in the section below.
Discussion - The Conversation
For this analysis on the conversation between the 2 speakers, I’ll use Lady to refer to the female speaker, and Gent to refer to the male speaker 😊.
Conversation 1
Here is a part of the audio conversation on Snap’s 13-year journey, from my article:
Lady - Let’s move on from AI to business particularly Snap’s 13-year journey, Nero shares reflections from CEO Evan Spiegel.
Gent - What’s striking is Spiegel’s continuous belief in technology’s continuous impact.
Lady – Uh-huh.
Gent – Despite the challenges Snap has faced he remains optimistic about the power of technology to improve our lives.
Lady – It’s refreshing to hear that kind of perspective from a leader in the tech world.
In the actual article I quoted Spiegel saying “The reason that I’ve dedicated so much of my life to building Snap is because I believe deeply in the power of technology to make a positive impact in people’s lives”.
So, it is interesting to see the speakers take this and build upon it. I didn’t mention Snap’s challenges, that was in the original article by Spiegel. This is what I mean by additional context.
Conversation 2
Here is another part of the audio conversation on the 3 articles I referenced in the technology & product management section of my article:
Lady - Let’s shift gears now and look at the tech and product management market. Nero presents two contrasting viewpoints. First, we have James Gunaca, a product career coach who highlights the challenges candidates and employers are facing.
Gent - Ok
Lady - He suggests that experimentation is key to navigating this shifting landscape.
Gent - This means both job seekers and companies need to be flexible and willing to try new approaches to find success.
Lady - Then we get a different take a claim that the product management bubble has burst due to unrealistic valuations and the changing investment landscape due interest rate
Gent - Hmmm, this points to a potential correction in the tech industry.
Gent - It’s a reminder that even in a fast-paced innovative field like tech, economic realities can have a significant impact.
Lady - Yeah, it’s a reminder that sustainable growth requires a solid business model and a clear understanding of market dynamics
Gent – and here’s where Steve Blanks re-enters the picture. He emphasises the important of deeply understanding customer’s problems before you think of pitching solution. He reminds us that your product is not someone’s problem…
Lady – And here’s how it all ties together, Blanks connects this problem focused approach back to his marketing communication framework. Understanding the problem deeply allows you to craft a more compelling and persuasive message.
Gent – makes sense
Lady – It’s about demonstrating that you genuinely understand your audience’s challenges and that your solution is tailored to meet their specific need.
Gent – Yeah, it’s about building trust and credibility by showing you have done your homework, this approach can resonate much more powerfully by simply touting features and benefits
I found this conversation fascinating because when I was writing this article, I thought about how the placement of the 3 articles in the product management section would complement and reinforce each other - PM job market is changing vs PM bubble has busted vs your product is not a user’s problem.
Discussion – The User Interface
I would now look at the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) of NotebookLM. I noticed the ‘View Chat’ view of NotebookLM, on the left side of the text box, is similar to a chat messaging app’s interface.
You type an instruction (‘prompt’), receive a response, and then type another one.
Secondly, each output response is labelled as a note (catchy) and you had the option to ‘Save to note’ at the bottom. You also could copy, click thumbs up for a good response, and thumps down for a bad response.
On the right side of the text box, you have the option to go to the Notebook Guide. This takes you back to your notebook’s homepage showing all your saved notes.
These saved notes make NotebookLM feel like a collection of notes, and hence a notebook.
I would now discuss the key learning points from this review.
The Main learning points
Google’s NotebookLM was easy to use. It seems very useful if you have a lot of information from multiple sources to review. I imagine a student, or a researcher, or a writer would use it to generate different insights on a particular topic.
The audio overview was the main feature with the wow factor, hence the buzz on the internet. I can imagine a scenario were users come for the audio overview, and stay for everything else.
But like anything else there are always opportunities for improvement.
Improvements
The buttons for View Chat and Notebook guide on either side of the text box could have been clearer for better navigation between the different views.
Currently, you have to download your audio overview conversation and reupload it elsewhere. This could be improved by having the option to share using a URL link.
Secondly, when I was reviewing the actual audio conversation, I found myself wishing there was a transcript of the conversation for easy reference. This is not a necessary feature, but could be a ‘nice to have’ feature. Also, I can imagine a future where users can customize the audio feature’s output with their own voice.
Main learning point: I found NotebookLM’s interface quite intuitive to use. Once you get started, everything else is straightforward. The audio overview feature is the most exciting feature and is helping listeners unearth and make connections between different insights that they may otherwise miss from just reading the article.
Upload your favourite YouTube video and try out NotebookLM now and let me know what you think.
As we wrap up this deep dive here’s my final thought for you:
Nero’s weekly offers a curated selection of insights but don’t stop there use this as a spring board to explore further topics that resonate with you.
Yeah, that’s the beauty of learning it’s an ongoing journey. Nero provides a roadmap but you get to choose the path you want to explore, and remember Nero has over 80 articles available that’s a treasure trove of knowledge, just waiting to be discovered. Go ahead and dive in and see what insights you unearth.
- #67. Nero’s Weekly, by NotebookLM
You can listen to the whole conversation here:
There you have it.
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Would you like to read more career focused articles or something else? Is there a topic you currently struggle with? Let me know. You can message me at notesbynero@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading and bye for now.
Nero
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