On Wednesday, Google unveiled a major update to its NotebookLM AI research tool. In addition to local sources, users can now find and add relevant web sources directly within NotebookLM. This new feature, called “Discover Sources,” allows you to describe the topic you’re researching, and NotebookLM will search the web to curate pertinent sources for you.
Once you find useful sources, you can select and add them directly to your NotebookLM project to enrich your research. For example, if you’re researching CPU performance in AI workloads and have already uploaded local sources, you can now expand your project by adding relevant information from the web.
You can also explore how GPUs compare to CPUs in delivering better AI performance, helping to build a more comprehensive knowledge base within your NotebookLM project. This feature allows you to gather fresh insights and create a well-rounded project. Keep in mind that NotebookLM provides up to 10 sources with annotated summaries for each web source.
In addition to the new “Discover Sources” feature, NotebookLM now includes an “I’m Feeling Curious” button that selects a random topic and generates relevant sources. This is a great way for new users to get a feel for how NotebookLM works. Furthermore, Google has recently added support for Mind Maps in NotebookLM, offering users a visual way to organize and explore their research.
The interactive Mind Map in NotebookLM visually summarizes your sources, helping you grasp concepts through branching diagrams. It provides an overview of the concept’s structure and key themes, allowing you to connect different ideas and understand their relationships more clearly.
In related news, Semafor reports that Google has reshuffled its AI leadership, making Gemini its primary AI product. Sissie Hsiao, who was leading Gemini, is being replaced by Josh Woodward, the head of Google Labs, who played a key role in launching NotebookLM. Given the traction NotebookLM has gained under Woodward’s leadership, it will be interesting to see how his vision influences the future of Gemini.
