For topics with dense reading such as course readings or legal briefs, having an audio option makes much sense, isn’t it? That’s because it not only helps us absorb information in a more relaxed way but also transforms dry texts in our documents and notes into something more meaningful like mini podcasts. The new offering from Google – Audio Overview gifts us this option. It grants us the flexibility to maximize time, during everyday tasks while making information more adaptable and accessible.
How to use Google Audio Overview to generate lively audio discussions?
The logic behind this feature roll out is geared toward making people adopt a more convenient method that helps them grasp materials better by listening to explanations as opposed to reading them and turning mundane activities into opportunities for learning or staying informed.
Google Audio Overview basically creates two AI hosts that use conversational speech patterns to summarize the materials you upload or share with it. The hosts can then be seen engaging in spoken-dialogue discussions, trying to establish connections between topics through ideas and turn the dull reading sessions into interactive podcast experiences.
To get started with Audio Overview, you need to open an existing notebook. Currently, NotebookLM supports Google Slides and web URLs as sources, along with Google Docs, PDFs and text files. You can use these as sources to convert it into a mini podcast.
Click on the ‘Generate’ button on the right-hand side. Audio Overview, powered by the advanced Gemini 1.5 Pro AI model, will create two AI hosts ready for a deep dive discussion based on the source you provided. It can take up to five minutes for an audio conversation to generate, and for now, you can only generate conversations in English.
Once the audio conversation is generated, you can download and listen to it on the go. Alternatively, you can get a quick understanding of your source materials. Alternatively, listening to these discussions might even help you find new connections between your documents or get inspiration for future drafts.
Hands-on experience
When I tried Audio Overview myself, I uploaded a draft titled ‘Google Audio Overview lets you generate lively audio discussions
with two AI hosts’, and the results were quite satisfactory. During the 11-minute-28-second overview, the two AI hosts engaged in a thoughtful discussion on the accuracy of AI in analyzing provided information, how the system works, and its potential to impact education overall.
My opinion
The tone was engaging, and I have to say, the AI hosts could easily be mistaken for human podcast hosts. Their conversational style made them sound like real experts. However, using Audio Overview raises an interesting question: how far can Google take this conversational approach? Could AI eventually tailor its communication style to act more like a personal learning companion? The answer likely lies in its growing potential. As AI evolves, I believe we’ll see even more advanced capabilities.
It’s like having an excellent research assistant preparing summaries for you, but you’re still in the driver’s seat, doing the analysis and making connections. In short, it’s about finding balance—using technology to simplify tasks without losing the critical thinking skills we need. While it’s a great starting point, it won’t replace reading materials. Think of it like a calculator—it doesn’t make you worse at math, it just helps you do more, faster. A true time-saver, right?
Note: Audio conversations are still in beta and there may be some inaccuracies in the conversations.
