Google offers AI-powered podcast creation from search results

Google launched a new feature on Friday that turns search results into AI-generated podcasts in seconds.

"Audio Overviews" is based on Google's generative AI model, Gemini, and uses text elements generated by a request to create an audio program.

The podcast is presented as a lively conversation between two people, whose voices are generated by AI, discussing a topic of interest to the user.

Google noted in a message posted on its website that this short format, which lasts no more than a few minutes, "offers users a practical way to access information without using their hands, allowing them to accomplish other things at the same time or because they prefer audio clips over text."

This new service reflects the desire of major players in the field of generative AI to simplify user interactions with AI as much as possible.

Many believe that in this new environment, voice is expected to play a more important role than before, as evidenced by the voice assistants Siri and Alexa.

In September, Google launched a feature on its generative AI platform, Notebook LM, capable of translating one or more documents into an AI-based podcast, also in a conversational style.