| Gemini Notebook | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||
| Original author | |||||
| Developer | Google Labs | ||||
| Release | 2023 | ||||
| Stable release(s) [±] | |||||
| |||||
| Operating system | Android 10+, iOS 17+[a] | ||||
| Included with | Gemini | ||||
| Website | notebook | ||||
Gemini Notebook (previously Google NotebookLM; LM short for "Language Model") is an online research and note-taking retrieval-augmented generation tool developed by Google Labs that uses artificial intelligence (AI), specifically Google Gemini, to assist users in interacting with their documents.
Gemini Notebook is known for its Audio Overviews feature, which generates podcast-like discussions about the uploaded content. Google describes Gemini Notebook as a "virtual research assistant".[4] The product was created by popular science author Steven Johnson, product manager Raiza Martin, and computer scientist Adam Bignell.[5][6][7]
Another popular feature is Video Overview which turns the content in a notebook such as notes, PDFs, and documents into an AI-generated video summary with narration and visuals.[8] Other features in the app includes slides, diagrams, charts, images, flashcards, and data tables. As of June 2026[update], Gemini Notebook runs on Gemini 3.5 models.[9]
History
Gemini Notebook was first introduced in May 2023 under the experimental name Project Tailwind, presented as an AI-driven notebook capable of learning from user-provided documents.[10] In 2024, Google rebranded the tool as NotebookLM and began rolling it out more broadly to researchers, students, and enterprise testers.[11]
On October 17, 2024, Google removed the software’s “experimental” status, signaling its transition into a stable product.[12] In December 2024, the company launched a paid tier named NotebookLM Plus for enterprise customers and Gemini Advanced subscribers via Google Workspace and Google Cloud.[13]
Throughout late 2024 and early 2025, Google continued expanding NotebookLM’s availability and feature set. On February 10, 2025, Google extended NotebookLM Plus to individual users through the Google One AI Premium subscription plan, following its initial enterprise-only launch in December 2024.[14]
On July 16, 2026, Google rebranded NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook, and introduced a secure cloud computer for each notebook that enables native code execution for data analysis. The update allows the AI to generate interactive outputs like charts and spreadsheets while integrating deeper with the broader Gemini ecosystem and Google Search.[15]
Features
Gemini Notebook can generate summaries, explanations, and answers based on content uploaded by users. It analyzes the provided sources to extract key ideas and present them in a simplified and structured manner.[16] In addition to text files, NotebookLM can process PDFs, Google Docs, websites, and Google Slides.[16] It can also analyze YouTube videos from their transcripts.[17]
The "Audio Overviews" feature,[18] released in September 2024, converts documents into a conversational, podcast-like discussion between two AI hosts. The feature received attention for its ability to condense complex or lengthy documents into accessible audio summaries,[4][19][20] although it has also been criticised for flattening all content into a standardised format, even adding American content that is not relevant to the cultural context of uploaded documents.[21]
In December 2024, Google introduced interactive Audio Overviews, allowing users to join the AI-generated conversation by tapping the “Join” option. Users can ask questions directly and participate in the discussion with the AI hosts.[22]
In 2025, Gemini Notebook added a new Video Overviews feature, which transforms document summaries into visual slide-style videos combining AI narration, images, diagrams, and structured explanations.[23] Google later expanded both audio and video overviews to more than 80 languages.[24] A cinematic video mode that creates more immersive video outputs for eligible users. It was rolled out at July 29, 2025.
In early 2025, Google launched NotebookLM Plus, a premium version included in the Google One AI Premium plan. The upgraded tier provides higher usage limits, support for longer documents, collaborative notebooks, and enhanced output controls.[25]
In November 2025, Gemini Notebook added the features "Infographics" and "Slide Deck". These features, powered by Google's image-generation model Nano Banana Pro, allow users to visualize their source material as presentations or detailed infographics.[26][27] In December 2025, Google introduced a new Data Table output, which joins those existing tools and reflects NotebookLM’s broader role in turning source material into different study, summary, and presentation formats.[28]
In July 2026, Gemini Notebook launched Short Video Overviews, expanding the already-existing Video Overviews feature by allowing users to generate 60-second vertical videos. The feature was initially available for Google AI Ultra and Pro subscribers on mobile and web, before releasing globally to all users in English.[29]
Adoption
Initially intended for researchers, Gemini Notebook has also been adopted by companies and students.[16] The 2024 Spotify Wrapped used Gemini Notebook to generate podcast-style personalized overviews of individual listening habits.[30]
Legal challenges
In 2026, journalist and former NPR host David Greene sued Google, alleging that Gemini Notebook’s AI podcast-generation feature reproduced his distinctive voice without permission, a claim the company denied.[31]
Notes
References
- ↑ "Gemini Notebook". Google Play. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Gemini Notebook 1.51.1.956372075". APKMirror. July 31, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Gemini Notebook". App Store. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- 1 2 Orland, Kyle (September 23, 2024). "Fake AI 'podcasters' are reviewing my book and it's freaking me out". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ↑ Levy, Steven. "Google's NotebookLM Aims to Be the Ultimate Writing Assistant". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
- ↑ Rogers, Reece. "How to Generate an AI Podcast Using Google's NotebookLM". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Archived from the original on October 10, 2024. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
- ↑ Werner, John (January 31, 2025). "More On Notebook LM And Everything That's Happening With This Google Tool". Forbes. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- ↑ "NotebookLM video overviews and studio upgrades". Google Blog.
- ↑ "NotebookLM's Gemini 3.5 upgrade adds a cloud computer and help finding sources". 9to5Google. December 19, 2025.
- ↑ Vincent, James (May 10, 2023). "Google teases Project Tailwind — a prototype AI notebook that learns from your documents". The Verge. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ↑ Pierce, David (September 22, 2024). "The chatbot becomes the teacher". The Verge. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ↑ Li, Abner (October 17, 2024). "Google drops 'experimental' status for NotebookLM". 9to5Google. Archived from the original on January 1, 2025. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ↑ Wiggers, Kyle (December 13, 2024). "Google debuts NotebookLM for enterprises". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on December 29, 2024. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
- ↑ Jagmeet, Singh (February 10, 2025). "Google expands NotebookLM Plus to individual users". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on February 10, 2025. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ↑ Roth, Emma (July 16, 2026). "Google is renaming NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook". The Verge. Archived from the original on July 16, 2026. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
- 1 2 3 David, Emilia (September 19, 2024). "Google's NotebookLM evolves: What IT leaders need to know about its enterprise applications". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ↑ Roth, Emma (September 26, 2024). "Google's NotebookLM can help you dive deeper into YouTube videos". The Verge. Archived from the original on December 9, 2025. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
- ↑ "NotebookLM now lets you listen to a conversation about your sources". Google. September 11, 2024. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ↑ Malik, Aisha (September 11, 2024). "Google's AI note-taking app NotebookLM can now explain complex topics to you out loud". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ↑ Boran, Marie (September 23, 2024). "Five productivity hacks using Google's new AI podcast creator". Newsweek. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ↑ Rettberg, Jill Walker (May 21, 2026). "AI-generated podcasts: Synthetic intimacy and cultural mistranslation in audio overviews from Google's NotebookLM". Media, Culture & Society. arXiv:2511.08654. doi:10.1177/01634437261452160. ISSN 0163-4437.
- ↑ "New interactive features in NotebookLM". Google. December 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
- ↑ "Google's NotebookLM is getting Video Overviews". TechCrunch. May 20, 2025. Archived from the original on May 20, 2025. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ↑ "NotebookLM expands audio and video summaries to more languages". Google. 2025. Archived from the original on August 25, 2025. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ↑ "Google One AI Premium adds NotebookLM Plus". The Verge. 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
- ↑ "November Workspace Drop: Nano Banana Pro in Slides, Vids, and the Gemini app, plus AI to make meetings more impactful". Google Workspace Blog. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Create a notebook in NotebookLM - NotebookLM Help". support.google.com. Archived from the original on October 10, 2025. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ↑ "NotebookLM now uses Gemini 3, adds new 'Data Tables' output". 9to5Google. December 19, 2025.
- ↑ "Generate Video Overviews in Gemini Notebook". support.google.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2026. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
- ↑ Perez, Sarah (December 4, 2024). "Spotify Wrapped 2024 adds an AI podcast powered by Google's NotebookLM". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on December 26, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
- ↑ Oremus, Will (February 15, 2026). "He spent decades perfecting his voice. Now he says Google stole it". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
External links
- Official website
- Gemini Notebook on Google Play
- "How NotebookLM Was Made" episode of the Latent Space podcast
| Computer programs |
| ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machine learning |
| ||||||||||
| Generative AI |
| ||||||||||
| See also | |||||||||||
