Google NotebookLM adds custom chat roles and 1M token upgrade

Google has enhanced NotebookLM with customizable chat instructions, allowing users to control how the AI assistant interprets and responds to their documents. The upgrade addresses one of the tool’s key limitations and includes expanded processing capabilities, with all features rolling out to users regardless of subscription level over the next week.

How the new customization works: Users can now configure NotebookLM’s chat feature to adopt specific roles, voices, or goals through a simple configuration icon.

• Examples include asking the chat to treat users like PhD candidates by posing probing questions and identifying argument pitfalls, or analyzing information from three different perspectives.
• Once set, chat preferences remain active throughout the entire conversation session, delivering more tailored and in-depth analysis of provided materials.

Enhanced processing power: Google expanded NotebookLM’s technical capabilities with Gemini’s 1 million token context window now available across all plans.

• Multiturn conversation capacity increased more than sixfold, enabling more relevant results during extended interactions.
• The upgrade supports longer, more complex conversations without losing coherence or context.

In plain English: A token is essentially a piece of text that AI systems use to understand and process information—think of it like individual words or parts of words. The 1 million token context window means the AI can now “remember” and work with much larger amounts of information at once, similar to how a person with an excellent memory can reference details from an entire book rather than just a single page.

Long-awaited chat history: Users can now save chat conversations, addressing a frequently requested feature for ongoing projects.

• Saved chats allow users to close sessions and return later without losing conversation history.
• In shared notebooks, chat history remains private to individual users, maintaining personal workflow organization.

Availability: All upgrades will roll out to every NotebookLM user over the next week, regardless of subscription tier, making these productivity enhancements universally accessible.