AI Can Now Create Podcasts from Your Writing—and It’s Astonishing

In a tech landscape dominated by OpenAI’s innovations, it’s easy to overlook Google’s strides in artificial intelligence. Yet, Google’s recent update to its NotebookLM tool has sparked excitement across the AI community, offering an unexpected leap in functionality: creating podcasts from your written content. The feature, dubbed "Audio Overview," uses AI to transform complex writing into engaging audio discussions between two hosts. For those who have tested it, the results are nothing short of groundbreaking.

NotebookLM: A Quiet Revolution in AI-Enhanced Content Creation
Released in 2023, Google’s NotebookLM was initially introduced as a tool designed to help users make sense of complex information by processing uploaded documents and generating responses grounded in the provided material. But with Google’s vast ecosystem, this simple concept evolved into something far more robust than a mere “talk-to-your-pdf” app.
NotebookLM quickly integrated Gemini’s multimodal capabilities, making it possible to not only summarize documents but also create entire presentations based on the material. While this was already a significant leap, the latest update—Audio Overview—has caught everyone’s attention by adding a whole new dimension: podcast generation.

How It Works: From Writing to Audio in a Single Click
The Audio Overview feature is refreshingly simple. Upload a text document, click a button, and watch as two AI-generated hosts engage in a “lively deep dive” into the content. They don’t just read the text—they summarize, analyze, and even banter back and forth as though they’re in a real-time discussion. This ability to create a dynamic conversation from static content has left users stunned.
One early adopter described the results after using NotebookLM on an upcoming essay: “You need to try it to believe it. It’s good. Really good. Possibly the most incredible existing-tech product-ready AI tool I’ve seen since ChatGPT.”
What sets Google’s Audio Overview apart is how seamlessly it translates text into an engaging podcast format. It’s more than just summarizing; it creates connections between different ideas, adds emotional nuance, and flows naturally like a real conversation. Even quotes and references are smoothly woven into the discussion, making it feel as if two knowledgeable co-hosts are dissecting the content in real time.

Why Is Google Underselling This?
Despite the remarkable capabilities of Audio Overview, Google has been surprisingly quiet about the feature. Some speculate that Google is wary of voice models being misused, especially in light of past controversies over its AI products like the Gemini image generator, which once produced a strange concoction dubbed “glue pizza.” This caution may be understandable, but it doesn’t fully explain why Google would downplay such a groundbreaking tool.
Instead, it seems that Google is opting for a different strategy: letting the product speak for itself. Unlike OpenAI’s high-profile launches, Google is not relying on viral Twitter moments or flashy demos to capture attention. Instead, it’s leveraging its massive ecosystem and slowly rolling out these features for users to discover.

What Makes This Feature So Impressive?
Several AI researchers and influencers, including Professor Ethan Mollick, have expressed astonishment at how well this tool performs. In a demonstration, Mollick used his book as input and found that NotebookLM could create a podcast, study guide, timeline, and an FAQ from the text. When it came to the podcast, Mollick was blown away, urging people to “just listen” to the results.
For many, the podcast function is more than just a gimmick. It’s a powerful tool that has implications for content creation, education, and personal productivity. The AI-driven hosts capture the main points of an essay or book, breaking down complex arguments and presenting them in a digestible and engaging way.
One user shared their experience: “I have to say I’m surprised. I tried it with one of my upcoming essays and it gave me goosebumps. The main points were there, the story was told chronologically but with these engaging conversational jumps. It’s uncanny.”
While the AI-generated podcast may not match the depth and insight of the original text, its ability to capture the essence of the material and deliver it in an enjoyable format is undeniably impressive. In one case, the AI hosts referenced a comparison the writer made between moral dilemmas and the atomic bomb—an analogy that the writer was shocked to hear discussed so fluidly.

What’s Next for NotebookLM?
This update has positioned NotebookLM as a serious contender in the AI space, especially as users discover just how useful it can be. But as incredible as the current iteration is, there’s still room for growth. The technology is still evolving, and future iterations could offer even more nuanced analysis, broader accessibility, and further customization.
Despite the subdued marketing approach, NotebookLM’s podcast feature has the potential to redefine how we interact with written content. In an era where audio content is king, this tool is poised to help users create engaging podcasts with minimal effort, opening up new possibilities for bloggers, educators, and content creators alike.
The implications are vast. As AI continues to blur the lines between text, audio, and other forms of content, tools like NotebookLM could transform the way we produce and consume information. It may not be perfect yet, but it’s clear that Google’s understated AI is ready to make waves—one podcast at a time.