Google has renamed its AI research assistant NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook, folding another standalone product into its unified Gemini branding. Alongside the name change, the company is rolling out a new capability that lets the tool generate and run code, giving users a way to perform data analysis directly inside their notebooks.
Why Google Keeps Renaming Its AI Tools
The shift reflects a pattern Google has followed repeatedly: launch an AI product under its own identity during an experimental phase, then eventually absorb it into the broader Gemini ecosystem once it matures. Gemini Notebook is simply the latest tool to go through that transition.
From Project Tailwind to NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook
The product didn't start out as NotebookLM. Google first introduced it at Google I/O in 2023 under the name Project Tailwind, positioning it as a smarter approach to note-taking. Over the three years since, it evolved into a full-fledged research tool, eventually reaching a footprint of 30 million users and more than 600,000 organizations before this latest rebrand.
What's New: Code Execution for Data Analysis
The headline update accompanying the rename is the addition of code execution inside each notebook. Google is restructuring notebooks so that each one operates as its own secure, self-contained environment. Within that environment, users can generate code to turn static outputs into interactive ones.
This means people can draw on multiple source documents at once and build more sophisticated data analysis without leaving the tool. Rather than just summarizing or answering questions about uploaded material, Gemini Notebook can now actively process and manipulate that material through generated code.
How the Tool Evolved Before This Rebrand
The renaming isn't happening in isolation — it caps off years of steady feature additions that turned a note-taking experiment into a widely used research platform.
Features Added Over the Past Three Years
Since its debut, the product has picked up a series of capabilities that expanded what it could do for individuals and organizations alike:
- Interactive podcast generation, allowing users to turn source material into audio-style discussions
- Curated notebooks for organizing and revisiting research
- Video overviews of uploaded content
- Broader support for additional file types
- A dedicated enterprise plan aimed at business customers
Each of these additions built toward the more capable, code-enabled version of the tool now launching under the Gemini Notebook name.
Who Gets Access to the New Features First
Google is rolling out the code execution capability in stages rather than to every user at once. The update is currently available to subscribers on the Google AI Ultra paid plan, as well as Workspace business customers who have AI Ultra Access or AI Expanded Access. Users on the Pro tier will have to wait a bit longer, with access expected to arrive in the coming weeks.
Where You Can Find Your Notebooks
Access points for the tool are also expanding. Users can already view their notebooks directly within the Gemini app, and Google says that capability will soon extend further: notebooks will become accessible through AI Mode in Google Search as well, giving people another way to reach their research without opening a separate app.
The Ripple Effect Across the AI Tools Market
The original NotebookLM didn't just build a large user base — it also shaped how competitors approached similar products. Its popularity spurred other companies and startups to build comparable features, including tools for generating podcasts from source material and standalone research assistants modeled on the same core idea. Gemini Notebook's expanded, code-capable feature set is likely to keep that competitive pressure going, pushing rivals to match not just the note-taking and summarization features but the new interactive data analysis layer as well.