Key Points
- NotebookLM creates AI‑generated video overviews that combine spoken explanations with visuals.
- Google added seven new visual styles using the Nano Banana image model.
- Testing Catalog reports a possible custom‑style option that users could design via prompts.
- Users can already direct the AI host’s focus and tone, such as adopting an Edgar Allan Poe style.
- Google has not confirmed when or if the custom style will be released.
NotebookLM’s Evolving Video Overview Feature
NotebookLM, Google’s AI‑driven research and note‑taking assistant, can turn user‑provided sources into a range of study aids, including study guides, mind maps, flashcards, and audio or video overviews. The video overviews act like short podcasts that pair spoken explanations with matching visuals.
After a brief initial rollout, Google introduced new visual styles for these overviews by integrating the Nano Banana AI image model. This update increased visual flexibility and aesthetic quality, expanding the selection to seven distinct styles.
Potential for User‑Defined Custom Styles
According to the tech‑focused site Testing Catalog, Google may soon allow a “custom” style that users can design via prompts. This would let creators tailor the visual presentation of a video overview to match specific preferences or imaginative concepts.
While Google has not confirmed details, the idea aligns with recent functionality that already lets users guide the AI host’s focus and speaking style. For example, a user prompted the system to treat a news piece about Microsoft Mico as if it were outdated technology and to deliver it in an ominous, Edgar Allan Poe‑inspired tone, which the AI executed successfully.
Outlook and Uncertainty
The custom‑style capability remains unverified, and Google has not responded to requests for comment. It is unclear when—or even if—the feature will become available within NotebookLM. Nonetheless, the possibility of combining prompt‑driven narration with bespoke visual backdrops suggests a future where AI‑generated video summaries can be highly personalized.
Source: cnet.com