Fake AI ‘podcasters’ are reviewing my book and it’s annoying me

As someone who has been following the growth of generative AI for some time, I know that the technology can be very good (if not quite human-level) at quickly summarizing complex documents into a more digestible form. But I still wasn’t prepared for how convincing it would be to hear GoogleLM Notebook My latest book sums up minesweeper To a short 12.5 minute podcast-style conversation between two people who aren’t there.

There are still enough notable issues with NotebookLM’s audio output to prevent it from completely replacing professional podcasters anytime soon. However, the podcast format is an incredibly engaging and likable way to digest complex information and points to a more exciting future for generative AI than dry text chatter.

Hey! Listen up!

Listen to NotebookLM’s 12.5-minute summary of minesweeper Book using the operator above.

Google launched NotebookLM over a year ago as a “virtual research assistant that can summarize facts, explain complex ideas, and think of new connections—all based on the sources you choose.” But just last week, Google launched New “Audio Overview” feature added It’s sold as “a new way to turn your documents into engaging audio discussions.”

Google doesn’t use the word “podcast” anywhere in this ad, instead talking about audio creations that “summarize your material, connect topics, and share banter.” But Wharton AI professor Ethan Mollick correctly referred to the style as a “podcast” in Recent post on social media Share NotebookLM Audio Overview writingMollick called these audio summaries “the best AI demo right now” and “very annoying”We have to agree on both.

Inspired by Molly’s post, I decided to feed My own book Head over to NotebookLM to see what the hypothetical “podcasters” would make of about 30,000 words about a classic 90s Windows game. minesweeper (Believe it or not, I could have written more.) Just a few minutes later, I was having an experience similar to what it would be like to be on a list. NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour Or a similar podcast full of jokes.

Just the facts?

NotebookLM’s summary covers all the major sections of the book: The prehistory of the games that inspired minesweeperThe uphill battle to get the Windows Entertainment Pack into Microsoft’s business-focused 1990s; the moral panic over the game’s pre-installation on millions of commercial and government computers; and the surprising cheating controversies that surrounded the game’s competitive scene.

Sure, I could argue about the specific parts the summary decided to focus on and/or leave out (perhaps presenting different chapters individually would have led to more detail in the combined summaries). But anyone listening to this “podcast” will get the same overview of my book as they would when listening to one The follower a lot actual Podcast who I did After the book launch.

While there are no complete hallucinations in the NotebookLM podcast summary, there are a few points where he misses small details or makes assumptions that the text doesn’t support. Discussion minesweeper predecessor It was extracted.For example, NotebookLM’s audio summary says, “And here the squares and flags start to appear…” even though It was extracted. He had no advantage.

Then there’s the part where the movie synopsis mentions the senator who called minesweeper “A threat to the republic,” he repeated the quote for emphasis. This certainly reflects the spirit of Senator Lausch Faircloth’s attack on minesweeper And other games that come pre-installed on government computers. But in the context of the podcast, it feels like the voices are putting words into Faircloth’s mouth by sharing a direct quote.

Overzealous little mistakes like this—and some key parts of the book that were completely omitted from the podcast—might make me hesitate if I were trying to use NotebookLM’s summary as the basis for a scholarly article or journalistic piece. But I can see using a summary like this to get some quick, Cliff’s Notes-style grounding in a hefty book that I don’t have the time or inclination to read in full. And unlike diving into Cliff’s Notes, the concise, podcast-style format would actually provide some enjoyable background noise while I’m out for a walk or running errands.