TL;DR: Google expands Gemini Notebook with “Expert Intelligence,” letting users query purchased books from Google Play and generate AI-powered content from them.
The Details
Google’s AI note-taking app Gemini Notebook now integrates with Google Play Books via a new “Expert Intelligence” feature. Users can pull titles they own directly into Notebook and ask questions, generate plans, infographics, and AI podcasts from book content. The launch includes 100,000+ titles from major publishers — Penguin Random House, Macmillan, O’Reilly, Johns Hopkins University Press, and others. Google also partnered with 15 authors including Michael Pollan, Kim Scott, and Steven Pinker to create “Featured Notebooks” with custom source material and intro letters. Access controls prevent non-owners from viewing purchased book content in shared notebooks. The move deepens Google’s ecosystem lock-in around Play Books and positions Gemini as a productivity layer across purchased content.
Watch For
- Adoption rates among Google Play Books users and whether the feature drives additional book purchases
- Competitive response from Microsoft (Copilot + Books) or Amazon (Kindle + AI) in the AI-powered reading space
- Expansion of publisher partnerships beyond the initial 100,000-title library