How to Use NotebookLM (Google’s New AI Tool)



AI Summary

Summary: Introduction to Google’s Notebook LM

  • Overview:
    • Traditional note-taking and information management practices are becoming obsolete.
    • Google’s Notebook LM is a new AI-driven platform for creative work.
    • It leverages powerful AI models like Gemini and is co-created by Steven Johnson.
  • Getting Started:
    • Accessible at notebooklm.google.com for US users (18+).
    • Organized into notebooks for specific projects.
    • Sources can be added from Google Drive, PDFs, or text.
  • Key Features:
    • Source Grounded AI: AI draws knowledge from up to 20 documents (max 200,000 words each).
    • Conversational interface: Interact with AI to create outlines, summaries, etc.
    • Pinboard: Save important AI-generated responses.
    • Privacy: Uploaded documents are not shared or used to train models.
  • Use Cases:
    • Summarizing academic papers.
    • Generating proposals and letters with citations.
    • Condensing meeting transcripts.
    • Assisting with creative and complex writing tasks.
  • Writing Assistance:
    • Acts as an editor to improve drafts.
    • Helps ideate article topics and outlines.
    • Generates opening lines for articles.
  • Integration with Readwise:
    • Readwise can import highlights from various sources and export to Google Drive.
    • Allows Notebook LM to access a history of highlights for conversation.
  • Limitations:
    • Experimental with some bugs and a learning curve.
    • Requires manual work to import notes from apps like Evernote or Notion.
    • Limited to 20 sources at a time.
    • Struggles with math, messy PDFs, and large source details.
  • Conclusion:
    • Notebook LM integrates reading, researching, note-taking, and writing into one space.
    • It’s an AI collaborator with a unique view based on the user’s data.
    • Users are encouraged to sign up and provide feedback.

For more detailed information, users can visit Google’s Notebook LM and explore the platform’s capabilities.