NotebookLM Pros Generates AI insights with your own data
Wide variety of tools and uses Cons Limited to Google's AI models
Not private or stored on your device
Editors' note: NotebookLM is unlike other AI tools. While some tools want to be your AI playground and allow you to do a little bit of everything, NotebookLM delivers on what it promises, which is to help you learn and understand your data better. What started as a small Google experiment is now possibly the most practical AI product, which is why it received a CNET Editors' Choice award.
Despite its early-day AI fumbles, Google has set right a lot of the qualms we originally had with some of its AI solutions. NotebookLM, for example, managed to become what might be the most useful AI tool around. Out of the many options available today, NotebookLM remains one of a kind.
NotebookLM is an AI research assistant that lets you ask questions and create deliverables from the data that you feed it. It has the unique ability to organize your information and allow you to understand it in significantly useful ways. All you need to do is provide that information and choose how you'd like it to be transformed.
Unlike a typical AI chatbot, NotebookLM relies entirely on your sources, not on random internet information or reams of questionable training data. It's both simple and powerful, and the learning curve is minimal as long as you keep clicking to see what yields what.
This use of artificial intelligence is valuable and in demand. For instance, Matthew McConaughey said last year on a podcast that he wanted a personal LLM trained on all his books, notes and other personal information, so he could ask questions and get answers without any external influence. This is essentially what NotebookLM does.
Google first demoed what was then called Project Tailwind at its I/O developer conference in 2023, calling it an AI-first notebook. It was able to answer questions based on uploaded documents and automatically create a study guide for the material. While impressive in its own right, that is about as basic as NotebookLM gets today.
Since its official release in 2023, Google has added many more features to NotebookLM, making it one of the best tools for learning and doing more with your data. It can be used in a variety of ways, making it flexible and appealing for just about anyone who uses it.
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