SparkNotes, CliffsNotes, WestLaw, and For Dummies have had their time, but when it comes to research these days, people are turning to generative mining wisdom for help, and the results can be unpleasant, to say the least. Google wants to change that history with a new note-taking language-based app called NotebookLM. So, how does it work, and how can you use it? We have some answers for you to chew on.
What is NotebookLM, and how does it work?
NotebookLM, formerly known as Project Tailwind, was one of the few AI tools that Google introduced at its I/O conference in 2023 (via XDA-Developers). Interested users can jump on the waiting list at the new Google Labs website for each session, including Tailwind.
We are talking about ChatGPT-like or Google search engine but without internet. The company describes NotebookLM as a language-based program that can work with documents in your Google Drive account to summarize key points and key points. It creates personalized summaries and answers to questions working with the documents you provide – things like text files and PDFs – not online.
Anything you can ask one of the popular chatbots, you can ask NotebookLM, but in a more direct way and with a better writing service. One of those jobs? Citations for each answer – very useful when searching for multiple sources, and, ironically, something that Google’s search engine attempts always fail to do.
How will NotebookLM use my data?
Obviously, you’ll need to agree to a few terms, but Google says it won’t use or share the data it collects from your NotebookLM content to train new AI models or for other users to see.
That said, user data can go towards tweaking NotebookLM in its current form. You are also encouraged to provide feedback directly to Google.
Can I use NotebookLM?
The answer is that you probably can’t…at least not right now. Google has announced the release of NotebookLM in a post from 12 July on his company blog – perhaps, the first birds to join the waiting list were up.
The company still has a waiting list Here for people to try. A few signers from the United States will get first dibs, and they’ll keep their dibs for a few months at least.
Microsoft has enabled additional AI to give the Office productivity suite an edge. The company released it Microsoft 365 Copilot in May 2023 as a wizard that, in addition to sweating the details, can help users take Word documents and turn them into pivot tables and charts on Excel, bullet points on PowerPoint, and data-rich visualization on Groups.
Google has been making smart progress with its creative (whatever you call it Workspace or Drive software or something depending on where you are from) with things like Smart Chips and compatible displays. It would make sense for Mountain View to add to its offense and find a strong offense that can handle the entire job.
That said, there are still steps from now to the future. Those steps are not with NotebookLM, but in other tools based on I/O integration Making Magic by texting with MusicLM for converting words into music and beats. Google is often seen as a bit behind on the ball against Microsoft on generative AI, so it has its work cut out for it.