Video Overviews: Google brings AI visualizations to NotebookLM

Google's Audio Overviews are a research tool in which information is prepared as a kind of podcast. This is now being expanded to include visual content. The Video Overviews initially come as presentations containing images, diagrams, illustrations and more. Google refers to them as annotated slides.

Video Overviews, like Audio Overviews, can be used via NotebookLM –, the Google Notes app. The AI is effectively a host that prepares content for the user. It does this either by preparing information on a given topic as a podcast or as a presentation. It is based on specially selected sources. These are stored in a notebook. You can then choose what the AI should do with them. In addition to audio and video overviews, there are also mind maps, a timeline, and FAQs that can be created.

Video Overviews as a learning aid

Although the new mode is called Video Overviews, there are no AI-generated videos yet. So you will have to do without AI documentaries for binge-watching for a while yet. However, Google promises that the presentations are just the first step.

Like the audio overviews, the video overviews can also be customized. Topics can be specified and learning objectives defined. It is possible to define a target group. This also means that you can specify your level of knowledge and the content and explanations can be adapted to this. The overviews therefore generally serve as a learning aid. Created overviews can be shared via a public link. You can now define different authorizations to work together on a notebook.

Another new feature is that you can create multiple outputs of the same type within a notebook. You can also listen to audio overviews while working on a project. Previously, this was not possible at the same time.

Initially, the video overviews are only available in English, but other languages will follow soon, writes Google in the blog post.

(emw)