Google has announced new features for its AI platform, NotebookLM, enhancing user interaction with the service. The standout addition is the Mind Maps feature, which allows users to visualize the relationships between various concepts found in their content sources through a flow chart format. Additionally, the company is introducing an option for users to select the output language of the AI chatbot, enabling responses to be delivered in the user’s preferred language. Recently, the premium version of NotebookLM was bundled with the Google One AI Premium subscription.
New Mind Maps Feature in NotebookLM
In a recent update shared on X (formerly Twitter), Steven Johnson, Editorial Director of NotebookLM and Google Labs, revealed that the Mind Maps feature is now available to all users. Earlier, this feature was limited to Google Workspace account holders, as noted in a previous blog post by the tech giant. Johnson stated that it takes approximately 20 seconds to generate a Mind Map.
Mind Map in NotebookLM
Photo Credit: Google
Gadgets 360 staff have had the opportunity to test the new feature. Users who add one or more sources to their NotebookLM sheet will find the option to create Mind Maps under the Studio section, accessible from the right margin. A purple map icon has also been introduced at the bottom, which users can tap to generate Mind Maps based on the selected sources.
Once created, the Mind Map opens in a full-screen pop-up, displaying a branch-style chart that connects different concepts and groups similar ideas together. Users can zoom in or out for better viewing.
Additionally, clicking on any concept within the Mind Map will minimize the pop-up and issue a query to the AI chatbot for more detailed information. Users can then review the AI’s responses, which include citations directly sourced from the original material.
Another significant addition is the output language selector, found in the settings menu in the top right corner of the interface. This feature enables users to specify the language for generated text, regardless of the original language of the sources or prompts.
After selecting a preferred output language, users can expect study guides, briefing documents, and chat responses to be generated accordingly; however, it’s worth noting that AI Overviews currently only support English and are not available in other selected languages.
While the Mind Maps feature is now broadly accessible, the output language selector remains limited to Google Workspace users who utilize the platform through the Google One AI Premium subscription as well as certain paid enterprise users.
