Google has recently rolled out an exciting experiment that integrates its innovative Audio Overviews feature into Search. Initially launched with NotebookLM, this feature has quickly gained popularity for its ability to create text summaries that resemble a mini podcast format, featuring two virtual hosts engaging in conversation.
After successfully expanding its availability to other Google services, the integration into Search represents a significant leap forward. Currently, this feature is being tested exclusively in the United States and is available only in English.
Users can opt in to the new Search Labs experiment, which allows them to access Audio Overviews directly from Search results. When activating this feature, users will notice a “Generate Audio Overview” button appearing during their search queries.
If it’s not immediately visible, users are advised to scroll down, as Google is prominently displaying it apart from AI Overviews. While Google mentions that the process of generating an Audio Overview can take up to 40 seconds—considering the research, voice synthesis, and overall assembly—initial testing has shown much quicker turnaround times, often around 10 seconds.
However, users should be cautious and remain on the results page, as navigating away could cancel the ongoing Audio Overview. Integrating this feature into Search is a natural progression, as it builds upon the capabilities of NotebookLM, which already supported searching for new source material.
This enhancement aims to reach a broader audience, showcasing powerful AI functionality within Google’s most widely used service. Although currently limited in language and location, there’s optimism that more users will benefit from Audio Overviews, especially given that the feature supports over 50 languages in other contexts.
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