Joshua Kubicki – This video gives a quick overview of Google’s latest experimental tool called Illuminate, which transforms research papers into audio content. It’s similar to Google’s Notebook LM, but instead of turning documents into cheery upbeat podcast-like experience, it creates more of an audiobook or “micro-audiobook” for research papers. The video walks viewers through how to use Illuminate, focusing on how it works with academic PDFs. Key Points:
• Illuminate by Google: A new tool that converts research papers into audio files, similar to an audiobook. Unlike Notebook LM, this focuses specifically on PDFs, mostly from research papers.
• How to use it: Upload a PDF from a specific library, and Illuminate will create an audio version of it within a few minutes. It’s currently designed for research papers only.
• Great for researchers: It provides a quicker way to digest dense academic papers. For those who frequently read academic or legal documents, this can be a helpful tool to get a high-level summary or refresh their understanding. • Transcript feature: Users can also view, copy, and paste the transcript of the audio. This is especially helpful for researchers who need to reference or pull quotes from the material.
• Google Labs: The tool is still in the experimental phase, available through Google Labs, where other cool AI-driven tools can be found.
• Future potential: While it’s currently limited to research papers, the speaker hints that this feature might soon be available for a broader range of documents. It’s a simple and easy-to-use tool for anyone who’s diving into academic work and wants a new way to consume research. Follow along with this transcript by clicking the link at the the end of the description above.