Google has taken a significant step in integrating artificial intelligence with editorial content. With the new Expert Intelligence feature, launched on August 27, 2026, Gemini Notebook can now use books purchased on Google Play Books as sources for AI-generated questions, projects, recipes, and other materials. At launch, the feature supports over 100,000 titles from publishers like Penguin Random House, Macmillan, O'Reilly Media, and Johns Hopkins University Press.
Users who own a supported book can import it into Gemini Notebook as a source, read its full text, and ask the AI to work with the material. The tool can create plans, infographics, podcasts, and other formats based on the book's content. Google collaborated with 15 authors, including Michael Pollan, Kim Scott, and Steven Pinker, to create Featured Notebooks with customized material and introductory letters from the authors themselves.
The system includes access controls that protect publishing rights. When a user shares a notebook based on a purchased book, collaborators who do not own the title see the book listed as a source but cannot access the full text or generate content from it. Clicking on the locked source redirects them to Google Play Books to purchase the title, creating a potential incremental revenue stream for publishers.
Google plans to extend Expert Intelligence to AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app, with future plans to include academic articles, magazines, and newspapers. This move signals the evolution of Gemini Notebook from a simple note-taking app to a paid knowledge platform, raising new questions about copyright, access, and AI accuracy.
Comments (1)