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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

#211

Post by bogtog »

Torkel wrote: post #156
SirHumphrey wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the main problem with Peruns' videos are that they are videos. I run a little program on my home-lab that turns them into podcasts and I find that I enjoy them far more because I need to be less engaged with a podcast to still find them enjoyable. (Also, I gave up on being up to date with Ukraine situation, since up to date information is almost always wrong. I am happy to be a week or a 14 days behind if the…

Just turn off the screen with youtube video playing and there's no difference from a podcast? I listen to Perun at the gym every week, audio only.

Perun is peak podcast-like YouTube. In the gym, I just keep my screen on to share my YouTube tastes with the world and sometimes peak at some visuals

Re: NotebookLM's automatically generated podcasts are surprisingly effective

#212

Post by Lockal »

Here is a list of adverb/adjectives from that page: "surprisingly, astonishingly, deep dive (s/delve/dive/), effectively, honestly, actually, realistically, finally". What is actually happening: endless yapping. Both in podcasts and this article.

  - "Hold up. What if I say that sky is not blue?"
  - "Whoa, I did not even think about it. "
  - "Wait, so if the sky isn't blue, what color is it then?"
  - "Maybe... it's invisible? Like, we can see through it, so technically it's not there!"
  - "Exactly. This idea is revolutionary, right?"
  - "Bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla"
I failed to listen through the whole example audio attached, because, you know, it is mostly, like, throwing, like, arbitrary, like, questions - and confirm, you know, with words "exactly/see/yeah/you got it/you know it/yeahaha/pretty much, right/that's a million dollar question", you know. It's a brainrot conversation I would never listen to.

Re: NotebookLM's automatically generated podcasts are surprisingly effective

#213

Post by mharig »

corobo wrote: post #165
famahar wrote: post #105

I uploaded my detailed game design document for a project I've been working on in my free time and it was kind of a weird confidence boost. The two hosts seem to treat ideas like their the most insightful relevatory information they've ever heard. After a few uploads of other documents you start to notice the same overly surprised tone.

Must have been prompted to be an American podcaster. Bring on the one that's all British and snarky!

[dead]

Re: NotebookLM's automatically generated podcasts are surprisingly effective

#215

Post by gapeslape »

Lockal wrote: post #212

Here is a list of adverb/adjectives from that page: "surprisingly, astonishingly, deep dive (s/delve/dive/), effectively, honestly, actually, realistically, finally". What is actually happening: endless yapping. Both in podcasts and this article. - "Hold up. What if I say that sky is not blue?" - "Whoa, I did not even think about it. " - "Wait, so if the sky isn't blue, what color is it then?" - "Maybe... it's invisi…

I bet the comment above was produced by generative AI.

Re: NotebookLM's automatically generated podcasts are surprisingly effective

#216

Post by jeremyjh »

deng wrote: post #77
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…

I would disagree it's trying to be a "quality" podcast. As usual with AI, it's an average over averages, incredibly mediocre, sometimes borderline satire. For instance, in this example podcast they say "and trust me, guys, you wanna hear all about this", which is where I would usually turn off, because nothing of quality can come after this sentence. In my company, HR now uses AI to do training videos. It's hilarious…

That's actually a really good application of AI, because the quality of the content is meaningless as long as it hits the bullet points. They only do this to check a box that training on was done.

Re: NotebookLM's automatically generated podcasts are surprisingly effective

#217

Post by Jevon23 »

roenxi wrote: post #177
FranzFerdiNaN wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I know I'm not the first to say this, but I think what's going on is that these AI things can produce results that are very mid. A sort of extra medium. Experts beat modern LLMs but modern llms are better than a gap. I've seen people manage to wrangle tools like Midjourney to get results that surpass extra medium. And most human artists barely manage to reach medium quality too. The real danger of AI is that, as a…

AI looks like it will commoditise intellectual excellence. It is hard to see how that would end up making the world more mediocre. It'd be like the ancient Romans speculating that cars will make us less fit and therefore cities will be less impressive because we can't lift as much. That isn't at all how it played out, we just build cities with machines too and need a lot less workers in construction.

There are… many people who think that cities are worse off because of cars. Maybe not for the same reasons, but still.

Re: NotebookLM's automatically generated podcasts are surprisingly effective

#218

Post by Al-Khwarizmi »

MrScruff wrote: post #204
Al-Khwarizmi wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't read an AI-generated book (except maybe once as a curiosity), but I would definitely listen to AI-generated music if it were good enough. Reading a book is a time investment so I want it to convey the thoughts of another human being, otherwise it would feel like wasting my time. Listening to music, on the other hand, often is something that I do while I exercise, to keep a brisk pace and not get bored. As…

I think it comes down to your area of interest. As a musician and music lover, I spend a significant amount of time trying to find or create music that is both original and good. AI generated music can be a competent imitation of well established ideas and forms, but that’s of zero value to me - I’m not looking for ‘more of the same’ - quite the opposite.

Of course. In my case, I'm not saying that I could do with AI music in any context either. Sometimes I play music in the living room, and I pay real attention to it, obviously AI won't do there. But when I'm using the music just as a background for exercising? Then sure, why not.

Re: NotebookLM's automatically generated podcasts are surprisingly effective

#219

Post by kristopolous »

kolinko wrote: post #214

The podcast about the comments in this thread :) https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/7973d9a3-87a1-4d88-98...

I did that as well: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/4a67cf10-dd3b-42b3-b5...

It's wild how different it is.

Re: NotebookLM's automatically generated podcasts are surprisingly effective

#220

Post by leetrout »

kolinko wrote: post #214

The podcast about the comments in this thread :) https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/7973d9a3-87a1-4d88-98...

Astounding. Content is going to quickly be devalued with these tools becoming so pervasive.

It has a robotic, monotonous vibe but that is gonna be easily fixable.

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