Google Expands NotebookLM Access to Younger Users, Intensifying AI Competition in Education

Google's NotebookLM is now available to younger users as competition in the AI education space intensifies | TechCrunch

Google's AI note-taking app is now open to younger users, having previously been limited to users 18 and older. The tech giant announced that NotebookLM is available to Google Workspace for Education users of any age and for consumers ages 13 and up. The removal of age restrictions is intended to provide younger students with access to the AI research tool, allowing them to better understand their class materials. Now, students can access features such as the ability to convert notes into podcast-like Audio Overviews, visually summarize ideas with interactive Mind Maps, and more. NotebookLM recently released Video Overviews to let users turn notes, PDFs, and images into visual presentations. This expansion comes amid increasing concerns about the use of AI in education regarding data privacy and potential misuse. Google says that NotebookLM enforces stricter content policies for users under 18 to prevent inappropriate responses, and user chats and uploads are not reviewed by humans or used for AI training. The availability of NotebookLM for younger users follows OpenAI's introduction of a study mode for ChatGPT, indicating that companies are ramping up competition in the AI education sector.

Google's NotebookLM is now available for younger users

Google's NotebookLM (NLM) is designed to be the ultimate study guide. So, with the new school year already beginning, it's fitting that the AI tool is now available for younger users. Just be sure to check its work, kids. For consumers, anyone 13 and older can now use the AI-powered learning tool. However, any minimum age restrictions in your country will override that. NLM is also now available as a core service for all ages as part of the Google Workspace for Education suite. The Gemini-powered NotebookLM lets you upload documents and take an AI-fueled crash course on them. The tool can train on text files, PDFs, websites or Google Docs / Slides. (You can combine sources, too.) Within a few seconds of uploading, you'll see a Notion-style digital notebook on the topic. You can then ask questions about it, view summaries and generate mind maps. It can even spit out video explainers and podcast-style audio summaries. Like any generative AI, NLM can make mistakes. But the nice thing is it's super easy to check its work: Each output includes citations that link back to the source material. Fortunately, Google says it doesn't train on your chats or sources you upload, and no humans review it. The company recently added demo notebooks so you can take NLM for a spin without uploading anything.