**What You Need to Know About NotebookLM’s New “Deep Research” Feature**
If you often find yourself juggling countless browser tabs, piles of academic papers, and the nagging worry that you might have missed something important during research, Google’s AI-powered notebook, NotebookLM, offers a promising solution. The platform recently received a significant update that introduces the “Deep Research” feature along with expanded source compatibility, making it an even more powerful tool for researchers.
### Introducing Deep Research
With the new Deep Research feature, conducting detailed research becomes much easier. All you have to do is enter a topic, select “Web” as your source, and then choose between two modes:
– **Fast Research:** Generates a quick summary.
– **Deep Research:** Delivers a more in-depth and comprehensive look.
In Deep Research mode, NotebookLM creates a research plan, scours hundreds of websites on your behalf, refines its search dynamically, and compiles a source-grounded report directly into your notebook. The best part? You can continue adding your own materials and notes while Deep Research runs seamlessly in the background.
### Expanded Support for Various File Types
Apart from automated web research, NotebookLM now supports a much wider range of file types. Besides handling PDFs and text files as before, the tool can now process:
– Google Sheets (great for querying statistics)
– Microsoft Word documents
– Images of handwritten notes or brochures
– Files shared via Google Drive URLs
This upgrade marks a big leap from earlier versions that were mostly confined to text and PDF files. It eliminates the tedious step of converting all your files into PDFs before uploading, saving you precious time and effort.
### Why This Update Matters
The combination of Deep Research and expanded file support means NotebookLM can now bring together your personal uploads, extensive external research, and AI-generated summaries all in one convenient place. This integration empowers you to:
– Automate the collection and organization of sources
– Avoid the hassle of juggling multiple file formats
– Use additional NotebookLM tools like audio overviews and mind maps to better digest the material
### Availability and Important Considerations
Google announced in a blog post that this update is rolling out to all users over the next week. However, availability may vary depending on your region or Workspace plan, so some users might see the new features slightly later.
While Deep Research automates much of the sourcing process, it’s important to manually verify the relevance, context, and credibility of the collected information to ensure accuracy.
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With these new improvements, NotebookLM becomes an indispensable assistant for anyone tackling research projects, making the process more streamlined, thorough, and efficient.
https://www.androidcentral.com/apps-software/notebooklm-now-automates-your-tedious-research-so-you-can-focus-on-big-ideas
