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We recently experienced another “holy sh*t” moment—Google’s NotebookLM and its new Audio Overview feature. This post dives into how AI is now capable of turning articles, PDFs, and more into fully personalized podcast episodes, a game-changer for custom content creation and a glimpse into the future of AI-powered media.
As someone who's been in the tech startup scene for years, I've seen my fair share of game-changing innovations. But the recent developments in AI? They're on a whole other level.
This journey started with our initial "holy sh*t" moment when we first encountered ChatGPT in late 2022. For the past 18 months, my business partner and I have been diving deep into the world of generative AI. We've positioned our company, Forum3, as an "AI Lab," offering AI First bootcamps, writing a book on the subject, and even launching our own AI marketing software. Since then, we've had several "holy sh*t moment 2.0" experiences, but our latest one really takes the cake.
For months, futurists have been predicting that generative AI would soon create "custom entertainment" on the fly - your own Netflix movie, personalized music, or custom podcast show. With platforms like suno.com, we've already seen this become a reality for music. But we thought personalized podcast or video content was still a few years out.
We were wrong.
Google recently added an "Audio Overview" feature to its NotebookLM platform, and it's nothing short of mind-blowing. The platform itself is impressive, but this new feature is a game-changer.
Here's how it works: You upload your research sources - websites, PDFs, slide presentations, Google Docs, whatever you've got. The underlying LLM (likely Gemini 1.5) synthesizes this information and generates not just summaries, but full-blown FAQs, chat sessions, and now, AI-generated virtual hosts that can have a conversation about the uploaded content.
And we're not talking about robotic, monotone voices here. These are lifelike speech patterns with natural intonations that make the content genuinely enjoyable to listen to.
We are all familiar with my business partner's penchant for multitasking, so when he came across an opinion piece on Seeking Alpha about Starbucks' stock price but needed to drive at that moment, he uploaded the article to NotebookLM and requested an "audio overview."
The result? A completely coherent, easy-to-understand 6-minute custom podcast episode. Not only did it cover the article's main points, but it even took the liberty of brainstorming ideas for Starbucks that weren't in the original piece. Unreal.
The implications of AI-driven custom content creation are profound. Instead of relying on traditional news outlets, entertainment providers, or content creators, consumers now hold the power to create what they consume.
This shift could fundamentally change how we think about media consumption. Rather than tuning into one-size-fits-all content like the NPR News Update, imagine having your own personalized news briefing, “Andy’s Hourly Update,” generated and synthesized by AI, reflecting only the topics and perspectives most relevant to you. Or perhaps you’ve finished the latest season of The Great British Baking Show and don’t want to wait for Netflix’s next release. You could simply ask AI to generate a new, synthetic season to tide you over.
While this level of curation and personalization may sound appealing, it raises some obvious concerns. As AI tailors content to individual preferences, there’s the potential for consumers to isolate themselves within echo chambers. Rather than being exposed to diverse perspectives, people could end up cutting out traditional content creators and news outlets, preferring their AI-generated versions of reality, reinforcing their pre-existing views. The potential for custom AI content to create digital silos of information is real… and maybe some ethicist smarter than me can figure this one out.
Rather than being cut out of the equation, companies can use custom AI content to deepen their relationship with customers. For instance, media companies could offer AI to customize their content for users depending on preferences such as, "all content should be age-appropriate for a 16 and 14-year old" or "I like seeing good news, and suggestions on how to make the world a better place".
E-commerce brands can also leverage AI content on demand to improve customer acquisition, experience, and satisfaction. Let's say you're a Smart Thermostat brand. You have a detailed installation video, which is a static piece of content with a bunch of sections to cover all steps, and even then, users run into trouble, requiring additional customer support. With custom AI-generated content, you could train your AI video generator to be an expert in your Smart Thermostat installation. Each user can describe their existing thermostat and furnace, then get detailed video instruction, customized to the make, year, and model of their Smart Thermostat and furnace. The video could even be personalized to the user's skill level, with some users needing highly detailed, dummy-proof walkthroughs, while others only needing basic instruction.
As we wrap this up, I can't help but feel we're standing on the precipice of a content revolution. The ability to generate custom, on-demand content isn't just a cool party trick—it's a fundamental shift in how we'll consume and interact with information.
We're moving from a world of mass-produced, one-size-fits-all content to one where every piece of information can be tailored to our individual needs, preferences, and contexts. It's like going from a cafeteria buffet to having a personal chef who knows your tastes better than you do.
For businesses, this isn't just an opportunity—it's a wake-up call. Those who can leverage AI to create personalized, valuable experiences for their customers will thrive. Those who don't might find themselves as irrelevant as a VHS rental store in the age of streaming.
As for me and my team at Forum3, we're all in. We're excited to be at the forefront of this AI revolution, helping businesses navigate these new waters and unlock the potential of custom AI content.
So, what's next? Well, if I knew that for certain, I'd probably be sipping mai tais on my private island right now. But I can tell you this: the future of content is personal, it's on-demand, and it's powered by AI. And it's not coming soon—it's already here.
The question is, are you ready for it? Let's prepare your business for the AI revolution, starting with a bootcamp >
