On top of all the technological advancements that have affected the world of academia in recent years, what if I told you there was a new form of AI that now allows you convert your written-out notes into a full-on podcast episode? Sounds like a cool invention, right? Well, it turns out, it already exists!
The program, developed by Google Labs, is called NotebookLM, and it is revolutionizing the way students can study and memorize class material for exams. NotebookLM is an AI-powered research assistant and note-taking tool. The specific feature that has attracted attention on social media is called audio overview, which works to essentially create a podcast out of your notes.
Here’s how it works: You have your notes typed out into a document, which you then convert into a PDF file. Once you have your notes downloaded onto your computer as a PDF file, you upload it into NotebookLM, and in a few minutes, the program takes all the information and turns it into a podcast version of your notes. But to be clear, this isn’t the program just reading back to you the information you typed out. The program actually creates a two-way conversation in which AI-powered “hosts” are talking about the content of your notes.
After seeing so many TikToks of students making AI podcasts for studying, I tried it out for myself, using notes I took in one of my old classes about the historical overview of radio broadcasting, and let me tell you… it actually works. The program really sounded like a real discussion between two seasoned podcast hosts, and the conversation essentially simplified and explained my notes in a digestible way.
This form of studying could be extremely beneficial for many kinds of students across majors, but I think it’s especially great for those who are auditory learners. These types of learners are those who learn best by hearing and listening to information. You can also repeat sections and re-listen to the podcast, so if you’re the type who needs to hear information multiple times in order for it to sink in, that’s totally an option.
On top of that, the “podcast episodes” are downloadable, so you can easily implement studying into your daily routine, even when you’re on the go. You can listen to it while sitting in the library, while walking from class to class, at the gym, or even during your commute to campus.
There are other features on NotebookLM, such as the ability to create FAQs, a study guide, a table of contents, a timeline, and a briefing doc based on your notes — so there are many ways you can customize your information to study in the way that works best for you. Also, each notebook you create can be shared with friends through a link, making it perfect if you and your friends want to share notes in different formats.
It’s worth noting that this program is available to everyone for free, but is still in the experimental phase, so for now, be sure to have other studying methods on hand even if you find you’re loving this game-changing tool.