The thrill of discovery Google gives NotebookLM a Discover button to search the web NotebookLM can do the legwork for you now. Ryan Whitwam Apr 3, 2025 12:19 pm | 1 Credit: Google Credit: Google Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreMost of Google's AI efforts thus far have involved adding generative features to existing products, but NotebookLM is different. Created by the Google Labs team, NotebookLM uses AI to analyze user-provided documents. Starting today, it will be even easier to use NotebookLM to explore topics, as Google has added a "Discover Sources" feature to let the app look up its own sources.Previously, to create a new notebook, you had to feed the AI documents, web links, YouTube videos, or raw text. You can still do that, but you don't have to with the addition of Discover functionality. Simply click the new button and tell NotebookLM what you're interested in learning. Google says the app will consider "hundreds of potential web sources" in the blink of an eye, giving you the top ten from which to choose. There will be links available so you can peruse the suggestions before adding them to the model.The sources you select will be ingested as if they were documents you uploaded, creating a conversant AI for your chosen topic. The content of those sources will also be loaded into NotebookLM so you can refer to them directly. That's not why you use NotebookLM, though. You use NotebookLM for all the nifty AI-assisted features.In addition to the chatbot functionality, NotebookLM can use the source data to build FAQs, briefing summaries, and, of course, Audio Overviewsthat's a podcast-style conversation between two fake people, a feature that manages to be simultaneously informative and deeply unsettling. It's probably the most notable capability of NotebookLM, though. Google recently brought Audio Overviews to its Gemini Deep Research product, too.And that's not allGoogle is lowering the barrier to entry even more. You don't even need to have any particular goal to play around with NotebookLM. In addition to the Discover button, Google has added an "I'm Feeling Curious" button, a callback to its iconic randomized "I'm feeling lucky" search button. Register your curiosity with NotebookLM, and it will seek out sources on a random topic.Google says the new NotebookLM features are available starting today, but you might not see them right away. It could take about a week until everyone has Discover Sources and I'm Feeling Curious. Both of these features are available for free users, but be aware that the app has limits on the number of Audio Overviews and sources unless you pay for Google's AI Premium subscription for $20 per month.Ryan WhitwamSenior Technology ReporterRyan WhitwamSenior Technology Reporter Ryan Whitwam is a senior technology reporter at Ars Technica, covering the ways Google, AI, and mobile technology continue to change the world. Over his 20-year career, he's written for Android Police, ExtremeTech, Wirecutter, NY Times, and more. He has reviewed more phones than most people will ever own. You can follow him on Bluesky, where you will see photos of his dozens of mechanical keyboards. 1 Comments