Exploring Google NotebookLM and ElevenLabs GenFM

Visionnaire - Podcast with AI

In this new wave of AI tools that generate podcasts, we decided to test creating a podcast about Visionnaire itself using Artificial Intelligence. Two tools that stand out the most are Google's NotebookLM [1] and ElevenLabs' GenFM [2]. See the results below—if we weren't already accustomed to AI always surprising us, we’d say, impressive!

NotebookLM

The story behind the NotebookLM project at Google is fascinating. It started as one of those 20% time research projects that some Google employees are allowed to pursue, and it quickly evolved into what it is today. Its growth was rapid, as users realized early on how effective and results-oriented it was (the fact that Google made it freely available, fully functional, and accessible in all countries also helped). With the advent of the podcast generation feature on topics of the user's choice, its growth became viral.

However, unfortunately for Google, just like the authors of the AI paper that revolutionized the field (the Transformer paper titled "Attention is All You Need" [3]), where all the authors left Google to start their own companies [4] [5], some key members of the NotebookLM team also left Google to establish their own startup [6]. Opportunities in the AI field, especially in Silicon Valley, are vast, making it challenging to retain talent.

ElevenLabs

ElevenLabs is proving to be the leading company in Audio and AI—or more specifically, in using AI for audio. It is OpenAI’s main competitor in the area of Real-Time API, which streams audio (stream) for AI interactions. Most of the time, ElevenLabs, being specialized in audio, delivers better results.

Podcasts about Visionnaire

Now let’s get to the point: the podcasts generated by these tools about Visionnaire. To create these podcasts, we simply added the link to Visionnaire’s website, and the rest… well, judge the final result for yourself.

These podcasts not only showcase the capabilities of AI but also serve as an excellent way to learn more about Visionnaire. The podcast hosts (created by AI) really convey what we believe Visionnaire represents.

Podcast in English Generated with GenFM by ElevenLabs


Podcast in English Generated with Google’s NotebookLM


Enjoy the listen, and at the same time, get to know Visionnaire better.

Sergio Mainetti Jr.
Co-founder and Director of Visionnaire

Notes:
[1] Google NotebookLM.
[2] ElevenLabs GenFM.
[3] 8 Google Employees Invented Modern AI. Here’s the Inside Story. Wired Magazine. March 2024.
[4] 7 of the 8 authors of the seminal Google Transformers paper from 2017 have since left Google. Post on X (formerly Twitter). April 2023. Note: Since this is a post on X (Twitter), it may require login to view.
[5] All eight authors of the transformer paper have now left Google. Post on X (formerly Twitter). July 2023. Note: Since this is a post on X (Twitter), it may require login to view.
[6] Key leaders behind Google’s viral NotebookLM are leaving to create their own startup. TechCrunch. December 2024.