Can a Frontier Model Teach? NotebookLM's Audio Overviews are Fascinating

As frontier models got multimodal a new class of AI products is reaching the world. More immersive ones than a boring chatbot interface.

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Getting back to some applied AI tool discovery: Let’s take a spin of one of the most trending products that is now expanded globally using Gemini 1.5’s multimodal capabilities.

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Products like Perplexity and Copilot 365 are changing how we interact with AI-generated content with Perplexity pages (May, 2024), Copilot Pages (September, 2025), Genspark Sparkpages (June, 2024) and also in September, Google upgraded how easy it is to use NotebooksLM and create Audio Overviews.

• The interface/UX of NotebooksLM is extremely well thought out.
• I also use this tool to get summaries of my articles.
• Google’s NotebookLM app can now generate ‘lively’ audio discussions with two AI hosts about the documents you’ve given it. Collaborate with what Google proudly refers to as a “virtual research assistant”.

For audio learners this is a useful form of a page, but puts it into a podcast format instead if you select the Audio Overviews format.

“Google’s AI note-taking app NotebookLM can now explain complex topics to you out loud”

• Google is enabling the creation of fake or synthetic podcasts, which they call Audio Overviews, on any topic and it is super easy to use!
• Try Genspark ?? (Genspark is blazing fast and a decent alternative to Perplexity imho).

Google’s NotebooksLM re-launch of Audio Overviews has been trending on social media in mid September, 2024. Your personal data is not used to train NotebookLM, so any private or sensitive information you have in your sources will stay private, unless you choose to share your sources with collaborators.

NotebooksLM is not unlike the research tools that already exist in the Generative AI market. However Audio Overviews while the output can feel generic has surprisingly reusable applications.

Google brands NotebookLM as a kind of practical AI-powered research assistant that lets people in your organization interact with trusted source content to get grounded insights.

• Source grounding
• Summarization and Q&A
• Idea Generation
• Structured Formats
• Modular features

I asked Nick Potkalitsky, PhD who recently conducted a webinar: "AI and the Writer's Mind: Exploring the Cognitive Shifts of AI-Assisted Writing" for his take and a short guide on this tool.

Nick Potkalitsky is the founder of the Newsletter Educating AI. and has become fairly entreprenrurial of late at the intersection of Education and AI. Join the Pragmatic AI Solutions community for more of his insights and to meet others as well.

Watching NotebooksLM “grow up” has actually been fairly interesting as far as Google AI products go. So why am I focusing on audio? Well OpenAI’s advanced voice mode is also out this week (probably announced the day this post goes live).

With more immersive text-to-video and audio products soon available and the rise of apps like Suno AI, how we "experience” Generative AI is also changing from a chatbot of 2 years ago, to a more multi-modal educational journey. The AI tools on the research and curation side are also starting to reflect these advancements ??.

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Audio Overview is still experimental and has some known limitations, but is a fairly refreshing audio alternative to annoying chatbots.

By Nick Potkalitsky, PhD , September, 2024.

Hey there, AI explorers!

Today, we're diving deep into Google's NotebookLM. It's making waves in the education sector, but is it all it's cracked up to be? Let's find out!

For years, we've witnessed OpenAI create tools that, while impressive, often caused headaches for educators. It seemed like every new release was another challenge for teachers trying to maintain academic integrity. This trend began with GPT-3.5 in 2022, escalated with GPT-4 in 2023, and reached new heights with ChatGPT 4o and o1 in 2024.

But while OpenAI was stealing headlines, Google was quietly cooking up something interesting. NotebookLM didn't appear out of thin air – it's the result of years of R&D. But is it the hero education needs, or just another tech giant muscling in?

Google's AI Journey: A Trip Down Memory Lane

??? 2018: Smart Compose in Gmail (Not educational, but hey, it's a start!) ??? 2021: LaMDA enters the chat ??? 2022: PaLM joins the party ??? 2023: NotebookLM makes its debut

Google's foray into AI-powered educational tools can be traced back to 2018 with the launch of Smart Compose in Gmail. While not directly educational, it showcased Google's ability to create AI that could understand and generate human-like text.?

In 2021, Google introduced LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications), which laid the groundwork for more sophisticated conversational AI. This was followed by the release of PaLM (Pathways Language Model) in 2022, which further advanced Google's language understanding capabilities.

NotebookLM, first introduced in 2023, represented a culmination of these efforts. It's like the final boss of Google's AI education game. It's got all the moves from its predecessors, plus some new tricks up its sleeve.

To learn about another amazing Google Education product, check out my post on LearnLM!!!

NotebookLM: What's All the Fuss About?

NotebookLM just got a glow-up, and people are losing their minds. Here's why:

1. Document Buffet: Feed it ALL the documents. It's like that friend who remembers everything you've ever said.
2. RAG Processing: Fancy tech speak for "really good at understanding stuff."
3. Educational Swiss Army Knife: Unlike some AI tools that make teachers want to quit, this one might actually help.

But the real showstopper? It turns your docs into a podcast. ??? Talk about bringing your essays to life!

My NotebookLM Adventure: A Play-by-Play

Buckle up, folks. I took NotebookLM for a spin, and boy, was it a ride!?

Here is a link to NotebookLM so you can explore for yourself!

Try Notebooks LM

Step 1: Feeding the Beast

I started by throwing everything I had at NotebookLM. My dusty college essays? Check. That half-finished research paper on AI ethics? You bet. Even my embarrassingly ambitious sci-fi novel outline made the cut. NotebookLM devoured them all with the appetite of a grad student during finals week.

The upload process was simpler than my morning coffee ritual. Drag, drop, done. It felt like I was building my own personalized AI brain, one document at a time.

Step 2: AI Mind Reader

With my digital library loaded, it was time to play detective. Here is what the loaded library looks like:

Here is what the interface looks like when you click into a source.?

Note that there is an embedded generative AI tool that you can use to make inquiries about content on a specific source or the total collection of sources. You can even prompt the AI app to generate new documents based on the uploaded materials.

So–back to playing detective–I typed in, "What's the common thread between my AI ethics paper and my sci-fi novel?"

NotebookLM paused for a millisecond (probably judging my writing style) before spitting out an answer that made me question if I'd accidentally uploaded my diary too. It pointed out themes I hadn't consciously realized were there, drawing connections between academic arguments and fictional plotlines. Mind. Blown.

Step 3: Podcast Magic

Here's where things got wild. I clicked the "Audio Overview" button, half expecting a robotic monotone. Instead, I was greeted by two AI voices that sounded more engaging than some of my old professors (sorry, Dr. Johnson).

I initially thought the podcast would only focus on the highlighted source, but I was wrong. They bantered back and forth about ALL of my documents, taking a seriously deep dive into my ethical and philosophical content.?

Be forewarned: this is serious uncanny valley territory. While folks are already critiquing NotebookLM's repetitive joke patterns, they may be missing the point. The conversations are engaging and persuasive, and this product is synthesizing text at a higher level than any other generative AI technology on the market.

The Verdict: Mind-Bending Potential

As I sat back, my brain buzzing with new connections and ideas, I couldn't help but marvel at the potential of NotebookLM. It's not just a tool; it is something uncannily bordering on a super-sassy, fun, engaging research assistant available to students and teachers alike 24/7.

For students, it could transform the way they synthesize information from multiple sources. For researchers, it's a brainstorming partner that never runs out of coffee. And for sci-fi writers? Well, let's just say AI might be both our muse and our competitor. Folks, we are living in very strange times!!!?

The Elephant in the Room: Data Privacy

Now, I know what some of you might be thinking: "Isn't this just another way for Google to get our data?" You're not wrong to be cautious. NotebookLM's ability to process so much information is amazing, but it also means we're sharing more of our stuff with a big company.

But for now, let's take a moment to appreciate how cool this technology is. It's like having a super-smart assistant who can read all your notes, summarize them, and even talk about them!

What the Experts Are Saying

Dr. Philippa Hardman (Learning Tech Guru)

Dr. Philippa Hardman, an expert in learning tech, tried out NotebookLM and was blown away. She uploaded her conference presentation slides and, in just a couple of minutes, got a summary, study guide, FAQs, and even a podcast!

Marc Watkins (AI Sage)

Marc Watkins, one of our wisest AI sages, points out how NotebookLM could change the game for students. He outlines several exciting applications:

1. Interactive syllabi
2. Deep dive into presentations
3. Digitizing analog brainstorming
4. Multi-source exploration
5. Portfolio building for writing courses

These applications showcase the versatility of NotebookLM and its potential to transform various aspects of the educational experience.

The Million-Dollar Question

Is NotebookLM the future of education or just another shiny tech toy?

• Pro: Could revolutionize learning
• Con: Privacy concerns (as always with big tech)

Wrapping Up: To NotebookLM or Not to NotebookLM?

Google's NotebookLM is shaking things up in the world of AI and education. Its development represents a significant shift in how tech giants approach educational tools. While we should always be mindful of how we share our data, it's exciting to see tools that could actually make learning easier and more engaging.

As we look to the future, it's clear that AI tools like NotebookLM will play an increasingly important role in education. The key will be leveraging these tools to enhance, rather than replace, traditional learning methods.

So, what's your take? Ready to give NotebookLM a whirl, or sticking to good old-fashioned brain power? Drop your thoughts in the comments!

Remember, the future of learning is here – with a Google twist. But it's up to us to decide if that's a good thing. ??

_____________

I’m Nick Potkalitsky, a dedicated researcher and educator focused on revolutionizing education through AI-driven methods. With a doctorate in narrative and rhetorical studies, I’ve worked to improve research, instruction, and assessment systems across multiple disciplines. At The Miami Valley School, I lead the development of an AI-enabled curriculum and advocate for equitable grading practices.

As the founder of Pragmatic AI Solutions, I upskill educators and professionals for the AI age, while hosting the Pragmatic AI Community, which offers free resources, webinars, and AI literacy courses. Join me as we explore the future of education through my Substack, Educating AI, featuring curriculum briefs, research, and interviews.

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