Google Launches Gemini Notebook for Play Books

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Key Takeaways

1Gemini Notebook integrates books purchased on Google Play Books to answer questions and generate AI-assisted content

2Over 100,000 titles are compatible at launch, with customized Notebooks created with 15 authors

3Protections limit access to the full text to buyers only, with a purchase link provided

4Google plans to extend the feature to Search, the Gemini app, and other formats such as academic and press articles

💡Why it matters — This development strengthens the integration between the Google ecosystem and purchased content, while protecting the rights of authors and publishers.

Books purchased on Google Play Books can now be integrated into Gemini Notebook to query their content and generate AI-assisted outputs. The launch covers over 100,000 titles and comes with safeguards for sharing. Google also announces an expansion to other products and formats.

Sharing Remains Restricted to Buyers and Redirects to Purchase

Google has implemented protections in Gemini Notebook to prevent access to book content for those who have not purchased them. When a shared Notebook contains an acquired book, recipients who do not own that title see it mentioned as a source but cannot view the full text or access associated information. A click on the source directs them to Google Play Books to facilitate the purchase. Steven Johnson explains that the goal is to create a space where users can share their knowledge while generating new revenue streams for authors and publishers.

A Catalog of Over 100,000 Titles and Author Notebooks

At launch, over 100,000 books from publishers such as Penguin Random House, Johns Hopkins University Press, Macmillan Publishers, and O’Reilly Media are compatible with Expert Intelligence. Google has also collaborated with 15 authors, including Michael Pollan, Kim Scott, Steven Pinker, and Jennifer Wallace, to offer featured Notebooks enriched with additional material and introductory letters. Compatible titles display the mention "Gemini Notebook" under the Tools badge in Google Play Books. Steven Johnson mentions the possibility for readers to assemble a team of advisors from authors whose work they appreciate.

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Questions, Outlines, Infographics, and AI Podcasts from Books

Gemini Notebook now allows the integration of books purchased on Google Play Books through the Expert Intelligence feature. Users can query the content of the works, generate outlines, infographics, or AI-assisted podcasts. The full text of the books is accessible directly within the Notebook. This integration paves the way for uses ranging from information retrieval to the creation of structured content.

Concrete Examples and Extensions to Search and the Gemini App

During a demonstration, Steven Johnson illustrated the creation of a recipe book based on Food Rules by Michael Pollan. In another instance, Gemini Notebook relied on Radical Candor by Kim Scott to provide an answer to a question regarding managing a difficult conversation. Google intends to add this feature to the AI Mode of Search as well as to the Gemini app, which already has the capability to extract information from Gemini Notebook. Steven Johnson also indicates that the company is considering extending Expert Intelligence to the analysis of academic articles, magazines, and newspapers.