NotebookLM by Google Automates Web Source Discovery

04/03/2025 AI

Google has supercharged its NotebookLM with a nifty new "Discover" feature. Forget manually feeding it documents and YouTube links! Now, you can simply describe the topic you're curious about, and NotebookLM will scour the web for relevant sources.

How it Works: Just hit the "Discover" button and type in your topic. NotebookLM will then sift through hundreds of potential web sources in seconds, analyzing them for relevance. It presents you with a curated list of up to ten recommendations, each with a summary explaining why it's relevant.

Once you've selected the sources you want, you can import them into NotebookLM. This opens up a world of possibilities! Use them for FAQs, Briefing Docs, or even podcast-like Audio Overviews featuring AI hosts discussing the topic.

More than just Summaries: The selected sources are saved within NotebookLM, allowing you to read them directly and use them as references for citations, note-taking, and question-answering. Google emphasizes that "Discover" is just the first of several Gemini-powered features designed to simplify finding relevant reference materials.

Feeling Lucky? Try "I'm Feeling Curious"

For a dose of serendipity, check out the "I'm Feeling Curious" button. It prompts NotebookLM to generate sources on a completely random topic, much like Wikipedia's random article feature. It's a fun way to explore new subjects and see what NotebookLM can do.