NotebookLM becomes Gemini Notebook as Google adds code execution

Google is renaming NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook. The standalone research product keeps its role as a tool for studying and working with sources, but it will now appear in more places across the Google ecosystem, including the Gemini app and Google Search. The change was announced in a post by Josh Woodward, vice president of Google Labs, Gemini app and AI Studio.

Same product, wider reach

NotebookLM was introduced at Google I/O 2023 as Project Tailwind with a simple goal: help people learn. Google says more than 30 million people and over 600,000 organizations now use it, among them business owners building interactive onboarding materials and students turning notes into audio and video summaries. The company presents the new name as a sign that the tool is part of the wider Gemini family, while stressing that it remains the same standalone product — a rename rather than a new service.

A secure cloud computer in every notebook

Google has started rolling out an update that gives every notebook a secure cloud computer. It allows Gemini Notebook to write and execute code natively, so users can run complex data analysis grounded in their own sources instead of moving the data somewhere else.

The feature is available today for Google AI Ultra users and Workspace business customers with AI Ultra Access and AI Expanded Access. It will reach all Pro users on the web over the coming weeks, enabling new output formats and deeper analysis.

Notebooks in the Gemini app and Search

Users can already access and create notebooks inside the Gemini app, with full cross-app syncing between the app and the standalone Gemini Notebook experience. Google says it will soon bring notebooks into AI Mode in Search as well. The post closes by thanking people who have followed the product since its 2023 debut and inviting them to try the new features.