Google’s NotebookLM can now find its own sources

Google has added a new feature to NotebookLM that lets the AI note-taking tool find its own web sources to summarize and narrate. Instead of manually uploading sources like documents or YouTube links, users can now tap the “Discover” button and simply describe the topic they want to get a better understanding of, with the tool then gathering web sources around the subject.

Google says the Discover feature started rolling out on Wednesday, and will take “about a week or so” to be available to all users.

NotebookLM will hunt through “hundreds of potential web sources in seconds” according to Google, analyzing the most relevant options and then presenting a list of up to ten recommendations, each with a summary explaining its relevance. Users can select which of these sources they want NotebookLM to reference, and import them to use in other features, including FAQs, Briefing Docs, and podcast-like Audio Overviews that use AI hosts to discuss a topic.

Sources will be saved within NotebookLM to allow users to read them directly and use them as references for citations, note-taking, and question-answering capabilities. Google says that Discover sources is the first of several Gemini-powered NotebookLM features that are being developed to make it easier for users to find relevant notebook reference materials.

Another capability spun from this is “I’m Feeling Curious” — a button that prompts NotebookLM to generate sources on a completely random topic. It’s a good way to see what the feature is capable of, but also a fun way to learn about new subjects, much like Wikipedia’s random article feature.