Google’s note-taking app, NotebookLM, has recently received updates that expand its range of sources. Previously, users were limited to uploading Google Docs, PDFs, and text files. However, with the latest update, users can now upload Google Slides and web URLs as additional sources. This allows researchers, students, and anyone in need of organizing information to have more flexibility in gathering their data.
Enhanced Notebook Guide
The new Notebook Guide feature in NotebookLM is a valuable addition for users. It can read sources within NotebookLM and create study guides, FAQs, or briefing documents. Additionally, users can now include up to 50 sources per “notebook” or project, with each source able to be 500,000 words long. This is a significant improvement from the previous limit of only five sources. The inline citations provided by the Notebook Guide allow users to fact-check AI responses, providing more transparency and reliability in the information gathered.
NotebookLM is powered by Google’s Gemini 1.5 Pro, the latest large language model. This enables users to ask questions about charts, images, and diagrams they upload to the platform. The AI capabilities of NotebookLM can analyze data from sources such as PDFs and provide users with the information they need. For example, it can extract numbers from a line graph or summarize complex legal texts like the EU AI Act. The AI responses are backed up by citations, giving users confidence in the accuracy of the information provided.
While NotebookLM offers advanced features and expanded capabilities, there are still some limitations. For example, the functionality of web URL sources is not yet fully optimized. During a demo, pasting a link into NotebookLM resulted in the model attempting to upload the website but not displaying it in the list of sources. Despite these limitations, NotebookLM is not intended to be a tool for automatically generating research papers. Instead, it serves as a powerful resource for organizing and analyzing information, empowering users to make informed decisions based on the data they gather.
The latest updates to Google’s NotebookLM have introduced significant improvements to the platform. With expanded sources, enhanced AI capabilities, and a user-friendly Notebook Guide feature, users have access to a comprehensive tool for organizing and analyzing information. While there are still some limitations to be addressed, the future potential of NotebookLM as a valuable resource for researchers, students, and anyone in need of effective data organization looks promising.
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