Earlier this year, Google expanded the reach of its AI-driven research and writing tool, NotebookLM, making it available in over 200 countries. With the recent upgrade to Gemini 1.5 Pro, the platform has unlocked additional capabilities for users. One of the most notable new features introduced is the ability to transform documents, slides, and charts into engaging audio discussions.

This new tool, called Audio Overview, allows users to generate in-depth audio discussions from the sources contained within their notebook. The discussions feature two AI-generated hosts who offer summaries, draw connections between different topics, and even engage in conversational banter, making the experience feel more like a podcast than a typical presentation of data. These Audio Overviews can also be downloaded and shared with colleagues or friends.

To use the feature, users simply navigate to the Notebook guide within an existing notebook and click the newly introduced “Generate” button. According to Google, the discussions rely solely on the content provided in the user’s notebook. However, it’s important to note that the AI-generated discussions are not meant to be seen as comprehensive or entirely objective perspectives on a subject. Since this is still an experimental feature, there are a few limitations. For instance, generating discussions for larger notebooks may take some time, and inaccuracies may arise in the final output.

At present, the Audio Overview feature only supports English, and while it produces surprisingly realistic discussions, users cannot interrupt the AI hosts during their conversation. Despite these limitations, the generated discussions have an uncanny resemblance to real podcast-style interactions, creating an immersive listening experience for users. Google has shared that, although the technology behind this feature is still evolving, it already shows great promise.

For those curious to explore this new feature, a sample of the Audio Overview can be found in Google’s official blog, or users can head directly to the NotebookLM website to try it out themselves and generate custom discussions based on their own material.