Google Search Introduces Audio Overviews for Search Queries
Google Search is now testing out Audio Overviews for specific search queries, as announced by the company on Friday. This new feature was initially rolled out on NotebookLM, Google’s AI-based note-taking and research assistant.
The technology giant revealed that Audio Overviews will leverage its latest Gemini models to provide users with an alternative method to consume and comprehend information.
According to a blog post by Google, “An audio overview can help you get a lay of the land, offering a convenient, hands-free way to absorb information whether you’re multitasking or simply prefer an audio experience.”
Starting today, users can access this feature in Labs, Google’s experimental program. If Google deems it beneficial based on your specific query, you will see the option to generate a brief Audio Overview. Once generated, you will have access to a simple audio player with controls for play/pause, volume adjustment, and playback speed.
Google will provide links within the audio player to indicate the sources of the information. If you wish to delve deeper into a topic after listening to an Audio Overview, you can click on the links for further exploration.
Users can provide feedback by giving a thumbs up or thumbs down for each Audio Overview and the overall experiment in Labs.
In NotebookLM, Audio Overviews enable users to create a podcast with AI virtual hosts based on shared documents like course readings or legal briefs. Google also integrated Audio Overviews into Gemini earlier this year.
Audio Overviews in Search expand on AI Overviews, which are AI-generated summaries provided by Google for specific search queries. With Audio Overviews, Google aims to cater to auditory learners and individuals seeking more accessible ways to access information.
It is important to note that this announcement follows a recent report by The Wall Street Journal, which highlighted how Google’s AI Overviews and other AI-powered tools are impacting traffic for news publishers.
