Google’s NotebookLM Now Helps You Find Web Sources with ‘Discover’

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Google has launched a new feature for NotebookLM, its AI-powered tool for organizing and analyzing information, that automatically curates relevant websites for you. Called “Discover Sources,” it recommends up to ten relevant sources on a specified topic, each accompanied by an annotated summary explanation. Google said this feature is rolling out today for all users, though it could take at least a week to complete.

Launched in 2023, NotebookLM is an AI-powered version of Evernote and Microsoft OneNote. It initially allowed for manual uploads of documents, articles, and notes. However, with “Discover Sources,” users can automate pulling in sources from the internet for what’s believed to be the first time, and it’s all done with a single click. These sources can be leveraged within Briefing Docs, FAQs, and Audio Overviews generated by NotebookLM.

All curated sources will remain in notebooks, ensuring users won’t have to ask the AI to scour the internet repeatedly unnecessarily.

Imagine if you’re doing a research report and you’re looking to aggregate your information so you can get to work. Along with uploading and posting things you find from documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, you’d like to see external validation, so you browse the internet and use traditional search engines for information. However, unless you’re incredibly familiar with the topic, you’ll likely miss out on some key sites to explore. By leveraging AI via NotebookLM, the app will surface relevant websites for you.

Alternatively, think about “Discover Sources” as the generative AI-era version of Google’s “I’m Feeling Lucky” button on its search engine. Press a button, and in real-time, you’re shown a list of websites you might find fascinating. You can pick and choose which source you want to add to your notebook. Not satisfied with the selection? Try it again.

The launch of “Discover Sources” highlights the growing trend of AI-driven research tools shaping how we work and learn. From content curation to data analysis, these technologies are increasingly becoming standard in our workflows. By automating repetitive tasks and surfacing high-quality content, the expectation is that AI will allow us to shift our focus toward higher-level thinking and creative tasks.

As AI becomes more integrated into research workflows, it’s clear that apps like NotebookLM will continue redefining how we gather, analyze, and apply information. Whether you’re conducting academic research, working on a business report, or simply exploring new ideas, Google’s latest innovation promises to streamline access to the vast expanse of information available online.

“Discover Sources” is available for everyone, including those NotebookLM Plus users.

Additionally, Google is updating NotebookLM to allow it to use multimodal PDFs as a source. These enhanced documents can help train the AI to better understand all the content in a PDF, including the text, images, and graphs.

Featured Image: Credit: Google