Google announced an update to its NotebookLM research tool on June 8, 2026, introducing Gemini 3.5 as the default model, chat-driven source discovery, and a broader range of output formats.
The most notable change is a new research workflow: users can now start a chat about a project and NotebookLM will suggest relevant sources using its research skills and Google Search, helping to build a knowledge base from within the conversation. This marks a shift from the previous requirement that users supply their own sources before the tool could extract insights. The feature could help users locate primary sources in other languages or find new material from related authors.
Google is also adding what it describes as Antigravity-powered software skills to assist with research and generating different types of outputs. Users can now give detailed instructions for how output should be formatted and edit results once generated. Supported export formats include data visualizations and charts (.png, .svg), documents (PDFs, .docx, Markdown, text files), structured data (.csv, .json), and Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint files.
The update also expands on a “Deep Research” mode Google introduced last year for structured online research. NotebookLM will now display detailed steps in the chat showing how it arrived at its answers, giving users a way to review the tool’s reasoning.
The updates are available immediately to Google AI Ultra users and all Workspace business customers with AI Ultra Access and AI Expanded Access, with Google stating plans to expand availability to additional users over time.
Source: TechCrunch