Google’s NotebookLM can now make narrated slideshows with AI

Google’s NotebookLM is getting a new Video Overviews feature that uses AI to create slideshows with narration. The feature is rolling out now in English, and Google says that support for “more languages” is coming soon.

“You can think of these as a visual alternative to Audio Overviews: the AI host creates new visuals to help illustrate points while also pulling in images, diagrams, quotes and numbers from your documents,” according to a blog post.

“This makes it uniquely effective for explaining data, demonstrating processes and making abstract concepts more tangible.” Google plans to introduce “additional formats” in the future. Based on a demo video, Video Overviews have handy playback controls like the ability to skip back and forth by 10 seconds and set playback speed.

Google is also announcing updates to NotebookLM’s Studio tab, which is where you can have the app generate things like Audio and Video Overviews, study guides, and briefing documents. The biggest change is that you’ll be able to “create and store multiple studio outputs of the same type in a single notebook,” meaning you can make multiple Audio Overviews all referencing information from the notebook you’re working from.

The Studio tab is getting a visual refresh, too — it will have four tiles at the top for making Audio Overviews, Video Overviews, Mind Maps, and Reports, Google says. The Studio changes will roll out “over the next few weeks” to all users.