Google's NotebookLM gets a web connection and searches for itself

For the first time, Google has given its research tool with connected podcast generator, NotebookLM, full access to the web. This means that users are no longer forced to submit specific content to the tool in the form of documents, YouTube videos or links to individual pages – from which no further pages were then accessed –, but can instead use Google Search directly. An "I'm feeling lucky" reminiscence has even been implemented in the form of an "I'm feeling curious" button. The new function is somewhat hidden: a new "Discover" button can be found under the sources next to the usual plus button, which shovels regular content into the research tool.

Limitation of sources from the web too

"NotebookLM helps you to understand everything," write the creators, who had to cope with some management departures at the end of last year, in the official blog. "If you've used NotebookLM before, you've manually uploaded the sources for your projects – whether you're writing a paper, planning a vacation or transcribing interviews. But starting today, there's a new option: Discover Sources." The Discover function is curated: Instead of being sent to Google's search field, you enter what you are specifically interested in. For example, if you want to create a podcast or a notebook (as the research collections in NotebookLM are called) about MSX computers, you type in "MSX computer" and perhaps a few other keywords. A – usually very accurate – summary of the topic and a series of suitable web sources will then appear at the top, ranging from Wikipedia to specialist sites and studies to YouTube. These can be rated with a thumbs up or thumbs down so that the AI learns.

As a user without a paid Plus account (22 euros/month with Google One AI Premium), we were able to import ten web sources at once. This can also be repeated several times, but the limit of 50 sources per notebook applies, regardless of whether it is a document or a website. With NotenbookLM, each source can be 500,000 words long, chat requests are limited to 50 per day and podcasts to 3 per day. You can create a total of 100 notebooks. NotebookLM Plus allows 500 notebooks with up to 300 sources each, 500 chat requests and 20 podcasts per day. In the short test by heise online, it happened that sources could not be loaded – then a message appears (such as "source empty" or "short-term error"). Unfortunately, it is not possible to start a new download attempt from the source list; this can only be done by performing a new Discover search or adding the link manually. Searching through the sources by NotebookLM can take a few seconds – we have experienced a maximum of 30 to 40 –. The information is then available in the Notebook and can be processed further.

Participate in the podcast

The functions familiar from NotebookLM are available: You can chat with the notebook and ask it about the sources, add notes and – now also – create a mind map that allows you to navigate graphically through the content – in our MSX example, for example, the history of the computer standard. Furthermore, textual timelines can be created, an (unfortunately often somewhat superficial) FAQ automatically compiled and briefing documents with the most important facts can be written – all at the touch of a button. If you want to learn about the topic, NotebookLM has also been creating a "Study Guide" with quiz questions on the sources for some time. All features – including a citation function –, which you could use with the previous sources, also work with sources from the web search. This also includes the most popular – and last year's most hyped – feature of NotebookLM: the very human-sounding (and usually surprisingly entertaining) podcast feature called Audio Overviews.

Google says it uses Gemini technology to implement web search in NotebookLM. It is astonishing that the Internet company has taken so long to implement a relatively simple feature, especially as no further interaction with the web search results is currently possible, such as further refining the sources. Meanwhile, the Audio Overviews have still not been given a German version; they are still "English only". However, since last year it has at least been possible to make adjustments via prompt. An interactive mode is also integrated, in which the user can "join in" via microphone. You can ask a question and the two podcast AI hosts will answer it – and, surprisingly, without a long wait. In our example, we were able to ask about Bill Gates' role in the MSX standard – and promptly received a presentation about his involvement in Japan. Google had already announced the "Call-in" function, which is now called "Interactive Mode" or "Join", when NotebookLM was launched in 2023, but did not release it to users until the end of 2024. Even now, the feature is still in beta, there are some artifacts in the voice playback and the AI moderators are currently still rudely interrupted in their flow of speech when asked questions.

(nen)