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NotebookLM's automatically generated podcasts are surprisingly effective

simonwillison.net

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Re: NotebookLM's automatically generated podcasts are surprisingly effective

#131

Post by sirsinsalot »

robinsonb5 wrote: post #106
timoth3y wrote: post #21

NotebookLM's is incredibly good at generating the affect and structure of a quality podcast. This is in-line with all art, music, and video created by LMM at the moment. They are imitating a structure and affect, the quality of the content is largely irrelevant. I think the interesting thing is that most people don't really care, and AI is not to blame for that. Most books published today have the affect of a book, b…

The thing is, we have been here before. Think back to the mid-1980s and the first time everyone got their hands on a Casio or Yamaha keyboard with auto-accompaniment. It was a huge amount of fun to play with, just pressing a few buttons, playing a few notes and feeling like you were producing a "real" pop song. Meanwhile, any actual musicians were to be found crying in the corner of the room, not because a new tool h…

And yet Clint Eastwood by the Gorillaz was a Casio demo track.

It isn't so black and white.

https://youtube.com/shorts/Wn0NtSNeQEQ

Re: NotebookLM's automatically generated podcasts are surprisingly effective

#132

Post by huijzer »

timoth3y wrote: post #21

NotebookLM's is incredibly good at generating the affect and structure of a quality podcast. This is in-line with all art, music, and video created by LMM at the moment. They are imitating a structure and affect, the quality of the content is largely irrelevant. I think the interesting thing is that most people don't really care, and AI is not to blame for that. Most books published today have the affect of a book, b…

> The reason so much writing, podcasting, and music is vulnerable to AI disruption is that quality has already become secondary.

I think that has always been the case, we just tend to compare today’s average stuff with the best stuff from earlier days.

For example, most furniture pictures from the 60s and 70s are from upper middle class homes. If we listen music, we listen to Queen and not some local band from Alabama (not that I’m against such bands at all; they can make great music too).

Re: NotebookLM's automatically generated podcasts are surprisingly effective

#134

Post by lugu »

sirsinsalot wrote: post #131
robinsonb5 wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thing is, we have been here before. Think back to the mid-1980s and the first time everyone got their hands on a Casio or Yamaha keyboard with auto-accompaniment. It was a huge amount of fun to play with, just pressing a few buttons, playing a few notes and feeling like you were producing a "real" pop song. Meanwhile, any actual musicians were to be found crying in the corner of the room, not because a new tool h…

And yet Clint Eastwood by the Gorillaz was a Casio demo track. It isn't so black and white. https://youtube.com/shorts/Wn0NtSNeQEQ

That is to the point. Gorillaz has talent, and that is what made Clint Eastwood a hit. Not the Yamaha.

Re: NotebookLM's automatically generated podcasts are surprisingly effective

#135

Post by llmthrow102 »

peutetre wrote: post #36
timoth3y wrote: post #21

NotebookLM's is incredibly good at generating the affect and structure of a quality podcast. This is in-line with all art, music, and video created by LMM at the moment. They are imitating a structure and affect, the quality of the content is largely irrelevant. I think the interesting thing is that most people don't really care, and AI is not to blame for that. Most books published today have the affect of a book, b…

But why would I buy those books or listen to those podcasts that are synthetic affectations of no substance?

That's the same question I have. There is already a ton of great podcasts/music/everything in the niches that I like that I don't have the time to listen to them all. I also like to have quiet introspective time.

So where does AI regurgitated slop fit into my life?

Re: NotebookLM's automatically generated podcasts are surprisingly effective

#136

Post by kypro »

I've been seeing loads of these pop up on YouTube at the moment. Granted, it's probably because I'm clicking on them and YouTube is serving me more, but it does seem that some people (non-technical folk or kids) might not realise they are AI generated and who knows, perhaps soon one of these podcasts will actually be rather popular.

Personally I think the flow of the conversation is lacking a bit right now. To me it still sounds like two people reading off a script trying to sound like podcast hosts. I guess that's because I'm picking up on some subtle tonalities that sound off and incongruent. Still impressive though.

I think a great use case for it would be education. It would make learning textbook content far more engaging for some children and also could be listened to on the bus or in the car on the way to school!

Re: NotebookLM's automatically generated podcasts are surprisingly effective

#137

Post by dromtrund »

llmthrow102 wrote: post #135
peutetre wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But why would I buy those books or listen to those podcasts that are synthetic affectations of no substance?

That's the same question I have. There is already a ton of great podcasts/music/everything in the niches that I like that I don't have the time to listen to them all. I also like to have quiet introspective time. So where does AI regurgitated slop fit into my life?

In the case of NotebookLM, the AI generated podcasts aren't competing with existing podcasts, they're competing with other ways of consuming the source material. Would I rather listen to a real podcast? Yes. But no one's making a real podcast about the Bluetooth L2CAP specification.

Re: NotebookLM's automatically generated podcasts are surprisingly effective

#138

Post by globular-toast »

I've always found podcasts like this boring and uninspiring. In fact, I'm starting to see a pattern: the less I like something, the more likely it can be done well with AI. But I know I'm the minority as so many seem to be ok with filling their lives with "content".

Re: NotebookLM's automatically generated podcasts are surprisingly effective

#140

Post by fefe23 »

Ladies and Gentlemen, let the race (to the bottom) begin!

While the vultures will shit out AI generated garbage in volume to make ever diminishing returns while externalizing hosting cost to Youtube and co, actual creators will starve because nobody will see their content among the AI generated shit tsunami.

Finally the AI bros are finishing the enshittification job their surveillance advertising comrades couldn't. Destroy ALL the internet! Burn all human culture! Force feed blipverts to children for all I care, as long as I make bank!

I guess it's easiest to destroy culture if you didn't have any to begin with.

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