In Short:
Google has introduced a new feature in its NotebookLM software, allowing users to customize AI-generated podcasts. I tested it with Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, creating various podcasts. Since its launch in 2023, NotebookLM has gained popularity, especially for its podcast-like conversations. Users can upload documents and request specific topics. Raiza Martin from Google Labs is excited about this enhancement, inviting greater user control.
Google has recently introduced a new customization feature for its viral AI podcasts within the NotebookLM software. I had the opportunity to access this feature early and tested it using Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis as the foundational text. After several hours of experimentation, I generated a variety of podcasts concerning this seminal novella, with some outputs being more unconventional than others.
Background on NotebookLM
NotebookLM, released by Google Labs in 2023, serves as an AI-centric writing tool that has seen a resurgence in user engagement since early September. This renewed interest followed the addition of a feature allowing users to generate podcast-like conversations between two AI voices—one male and one female—from uploaded documents. While these audio “deep dives” have practical applications in education and productivity, many viral clips circulating online highlight an entertainment-focused approach, often featuring robot hosts discussing unusual or highly personal documents, such as a LinkedIn profile.
User Control and Future Updates
According to Raiza Martin, the head of the NotebookLM team at Google Labs, users have expressed a strong desire for more control over the content of these synthetic podcasts. “It’s the number one feature we’ve heard people request,” she stated. “They want to provide a bit of feedback regarding the focus of the deep dive.” Martin emphasized that this is just the first of many updates planned for the future.
As NotebookLM approaches its one-year anniversary since its full launch, it will also be shedding its “experimental” label. This update indicates a positive trajectory away from the potential of joining the myriad of abandoned software in the Google graveyard. Martin noted that the removal of this label comes after achieving internal milestones related to overall quality, user retention, and interface standards, promising users a higher level of stability in the software.
How to Customize the AI Podcasts
To create an AI podcast through NotebookLM, users should navigate to the Google Labs website and initiate a New Notebook. Users can then import source documents for use in the audio output. These documents can range from local files to YouTube links.
After adding the documents, selecting the Notebook guide will reveal an option to generate a deep dive, as well as the choice to customize the output beforehand. By clicking Customize, users can provide specific prompts regarding the desired outcome of the AI podcast. Suggestions include identifying sections of the source documents to highlight, larger topics for exploration, or targeting different intended audiences for the message.
Martin recommends initially generating the Audio Overview without adjustments. While listening to this initial version, users should note any pressing questions or topics they wish to see expanded upon. These notes can then serve as valuable prompts for generating a refined AI podcast tailored to the user’s interests.
My First Impressions
For my testing, I uploaded an 80-page document of Kafka’s renowned existential work, where the protagonist awakens one day to find he has transformed into a giant insect. The first Audio Overview created without any prompt customization provided a solid, albeit broad summary of the novella and some discussion of its major themes. While it was not groundbreaking, it was a respectable overview.
Applying my experience as a former college English major, my first customized prompt focused on the themes of alienation and oppressive bureaucracy present in the text. With this adjustment, the output from NotebookLM successfully honed in on these themes, resulting in a discussion reminiscent of those heard in academic settings. Although a bit rambling, it remained entirely engaging.
