What Did Google Do This Week?

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NOTEBOOKLM GOES FROM TAKING NOTES TO TAKING CHARGE

While Epic got bad news, and Trump was promising to do “something” about Google’s monopoly if he wins the US election, Google took a big step forward with its AI-powered note-taking tool, NotebookLM, now giving users the ability to guide AI-generated, podcast-style conversations and ask for do-overs. For anyone who has already come to rely on AI to summarise their meetings or manage tasks, this is more good news. For anyone who has not yet asked NotebookLM to summarise a meeting, document or article for them, give it a whirl. You’ll be surprised how good it can be.

Google has also launched a business pilot, meaning companies can now start testing NotebookLM’s capabilities for more streamlined workflows. Mix this with Google recently reorganising its AI division, merging the Gemini AI app with DeepMind, and you can see the goalposts a little clearer. Enterprise use cases = strong handcuffs. With DeepMind now playing an even bigger role in Google's AI ventures, we can expect to see more seamless integration of cutting-edge AI features across its products. It’s all part of Google’s effort to gain advantage in the AI race.

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SO WHAT?

Over 80,000 organisations are using NotebookLM globally already. Not everyone started with a strategy though, and that’s important to note here. The tool sort of came out of nowhere, so we need to use a ‘jobs to do’ analysis on it or it risks just being cute and fluffy. Google is asking companies to join the pilot so you know the company understands what it could have on its hands.

For companies considering NotebookLM, a critical step is to conduct a thorough evaluation of current knowledge management practices and identify where AI can genuinely add value. Focus on understanding the quality and accessibility of existing data, ensuring there is a clear plan for data integration, and assessing the readiness of teams to adapt to a new AI-driven tool. Privacy concerns should also be balanced against the need for dynamic, continuously improving AI capabilities.

For individuals, NotebookLM can be a valuable aid in managing and synthesising large volumes of information, but it should be used with caution. Users must remain vigilant about the quality of the content they provide and avoid over-relying on AI-generated insights. Critical thinking and manual verification remain crucial to avoid misconceptions or errors in understanding.

To maximise the potential of NotebookLM, both companies and individuals need to treat it not as a standalone solution but as a supplementary tool that enhances existing processes. The success of such tools is contingent on ongoing human oversight, quality data input, and strategic integration into broader workflows.

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