Google adds deep research and more file types to NotebookLM

NotebookLM now offers a "Deep Research" mode that can scan hundreds of websites and produce structured, annotated reports.

Users can access this feature by selecting "Web" in the source field, then choosing either "Deep Research" for in-depth analysis or "Fast Research" for quicker results. While Deep Research can pull together comprehensive reports, it is still prone to the same kinds of errors seen in other large language model tools.

NotebookLM now supports a wider range of file types, including Google Sheets, Drive links, PDFs, and Word documents imported from Drive, along with direct image uploads. The tool can extract information from images and make it available for chat. A new chat history feature lets users end a conversation and pick it up later, or delete their history at any time.

NotebookLM recently added stylistic controls for podcasts and video explainers. These features have the potential to be used for copyright infringement, a risk, or feature, depending on your view, that comes with most generative AI tools.