Why NotebookLM Matters

Fred Vogelstein, my co-writer for the CrazyStupidTech newsletter, has been wanting a digital research assistant powered by AI ever since he saw ChatGPT two years ago. He might have finally found the tool he loves — Google’s NotebookLM. Why? Because it helps transform his personal digital archives into queryable knowledge bases. Fred believes it is not just another AI tool; he sees it as a real bridge between our digital memories and actionable insights.

NotebookLM is the first Google product in years to excite both rank-and-file employees and tech cognoscenti. It’s a practical AI application, focusing on personal knowledge management rather than general-purpose chat. The system’s ability to process up to 750,000 words, expanding from 24,000, marks a significant leap in contextual understanding. This advancement allows users to derive insights from vast personal archives.

NotebookLM’s innovation isn’t technical; it’s conceptual. The company is positioning AI as a tool for understanding rather than generating content. By doing so, Google can sidestep issues plaguing general-purpose AI while delivering genuine utility. Google should consider building more practical AI applications.

Let’s be clear: NotebookLM is not perfect. Google has lost the ability to create simple, easy-to-use, elegant interfaces that made us all fall in love with their search, Gmail, and Google Docs. The company’s product design reflects its convoluted corporate structure and competing interests.

Still, it’s hard not to get excited about NotebookLM. We have ever-expanding digital archives and need to increase our ability to extract value from them. Douglas Engelbart’s work on augmenting human intellect started us down the path of personal computing. Just as Engelbart envisioned computers as tools for thought amplification, NotebookLM represents the first practical implementation of AI as a personal intellectual assistant.

Fred sat down with Steven Johnson, a well-known author who now works as NotebookLM’s resident editorial chief. This conversation had some great insights, especially from a personal usage perspective. It also provides context for the why of NotebookLM. Continue Reading on CrazyStupidTech.