Google upgrades NotebookLM, which now runs on Gemini 3.5 and Antigravity, to deliver new agentic capabilities and more advanced reasoning for AI Ultra users

Google on Monday announced an update to its NotebookLM research tool, which includes new features and the shift to Gemini 3.5 as the default model.

TechCrunch 2026-06-08 Ivan Mehta

Context & Ripple Effects

NotebookLM began as an AI-first notebook using Gemini Pro, and Google has since advanced the underlying Gemini line with a 3.1 Pro reasoning release and Gemini 3.5 Flash positioned for agentic and coding work. This update brings that model cadence into the research product.

The subsequent renaming of NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook and addition of a secure cloud computer for each notebook suggests Google is turning a standalone research interface into a more capable Gemini-branded work environment.

First-order effects

AI Ultra users receive NotebookLM with Gemini 3.5 as its default model, plus the reported agentic and advanced-reasoning capabilities.
NotebookLM becomes another premium Gemini surface rather than a product operating on an older, separate model tier; Antigravity is part of the upgraded stack.

Second-order effects

The AI Ultra tier gains a clearer product-level justification: access is tied not only to a frontier model but to higher-capability research workflows built around it.
Google can use NotebookLM as a deployment channel for its agentic-model work, while rival AI research and knowledge-work tools face pressure to pair source-grounded notebooks with stronger task execution.

Third-order effects

If Google continues to connect model upgrades, cloud execution, and notebook workflows, AI assistants may shift from answer-generation interfaces toward managed workspaces that can reason over material and carry out parts of the task.
The progression also points to tighter product bundling around Gemini: model differentiation may increasingly be expressed through applications and subscription tiers, not model access alone.

The trend: This is part of the shift from general-purpose AI chatbots to premium, agentic workspaces built on rapidly iterating reasoning models.

Discussion

@joshwoodward Josh Woodward on x
The new killer NotebookLM feature: easily being able to expand your search beyond your own source files Then, with today's update, you can also make new output formats: PDFs, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, charts, etc. We want NotebookLM to keep helping you do better research
@vikaskansalhq Vikas Kansal on x
A more powerful NotebookLM with agentic capabilities, more advanced reasoning, and a suite of new output formats rolling out globally on the web starting with Google AI Ultra users first!
@notebooklm @notebooklm on x
Forget about our users? Who? Us??? Please. These updates are rolling out globally on the web starting with Google AI Ultra and all Workspace business customers with AI Ultra Access and AI Expanded Access, however we *absolutely* plan to expand to others over time!
@notebooklm @notebooklm on x
Introducing a more powerful NotebookLM 🚀 Massive upgrades deliver agentic capabilities in chat, more advanced reasoning, and a suite of new output formats. Tackling complex, multi-step research problems has never been easier. Rolling out now to Google AI Ultra subscribers. [video…
@trondw Trond Wuellner on x
Massive upgrade to NotebookLM and a profound set of underlying capabilities we're excited to begin sharing today! 🎉🎉🎉
@stevenbjohnson Steven Johnson on x
The most significant update to @NotebookLM in the three years since we launched. I've been using it for past two months and it is absolutely transformative for research. Rolling out to Ultra users today, support for more tiers to come.

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