Google announced a major upgrade to NotebookLM, introducing new agentic capabilities, enhanced reasoning, and expanded output formats designed to help users tackle increasingly complex research projects.
Launched three years ago as an experimental product from Google Labs, NotebookLM has evolved into a collaborative research and knowledge platform used by millions of individuals and organizations to organize information, uncover connections across documents, and generate ideas.
A centerpiece of the update is an upgraded chat experience powered by Gemini 3.5 and Google’s Antigravity technology. According to Google, the improvements provide more accurate and reliable responses while offering greater transparency into the system’s reasoning process.
Each notebook now includes a secure cloud computer capable of writing and running code to support deeper analysis. Google said the platform incorporates more than 100 curated software skills, enabling users to conduct sophisticated research and better understand source materials.
Internal evaluations showed the new system achieved an average win rate of more than 65% compared with the previous version. Performance gains included a 69.9% win rate in large-document analysis and a 78.2% win rate in advanced web research and source discovery.
Google also expanded NotebookLM’s content generation capabilities. Users can now create downloadable outputs in numerous formats, including PDF reports with charts and tables, Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, structured data files, images, and documents in formats such as DOCX, Markdown, CSV, JSON, PNG, JPG, GIF, SVG, and TXT. Generated assets can be edited after creation.
The company is also making it easier to initiate projects. Previously, users typically needed to provide their own sources and have a clear research direction. With the new update, NotebookLM can help users build source repositories directly within chats, locate related materials, identify primary sources in different languages, and use Google Search to discover relevant information. Users remain in control of which sources are included, with attribution maintained throughout the process.
Google highlighted several use cases enabled by the enhancements. Researchers can combine datasets with differing formats, conduct web research, analyze information through code, and generate reports and visualizations. Technical professionals can convert complex specifications into simplified guides and presentations. Small business owners can analyze sales data and advertising performance to evaluate expansion opportunities.
The upgrades are rolling out globally on the web beginning today for Google AI Ultra subscribers and Workspace business customers with AI Ultra Access and AI Expanded Access. Google said it plans to expand availability to additional users over time.
KEY QUOTES:
“Millions of people and organizations turn to NotebookLM as a collaborative knowledge and research partner because it helps them organize their thinking, identify deeper connections across their documents and spark new ideas.”
“You can now start with loose ideas and questions. NotebookLM can guide you through building your source repository directly in your chat, making it even easier to get started on any project.”
“You’re still in control of the sources that you add to your notebook so that your work stays grounded in the information you trust and all sources continue to be clearly attributed.”
Trond Wuellner, Director of Product Management, NotebookLM, and Usama Bin Shafqat, Software Engineer, NotebookLM
