Google Integrates Purchased E-Books Into Gemini Notebook via New 'Expert Intelligence' Feature

Google has updated its artificial intelligence note-taking application, Gemini Notebook, with a capability called "Expert Intelligence" that allows users to ingest and query content from digital books purchased through Google Play Books.

The new integration enables individuals to submit questions about their purchased literature and produce derived materials such as strategic plans, visual infographics, and AI-generated podcasts based on the text. Users are also able to read the full text of their owned titles directly inside the Gemini Notebook interface.

First reported by The Verge, Google Labs editorial director Steven Johnson demonstrated the feature during a press briefing. In one showcase, Johnson utilized Michael Pollan’s book Food Rules to generate a custom recipe collection. In another demonstration, the system applied management concepts from Kim Scott’s book Radical Candor to offer advice on handling a complex employee interaction.

At launch, the functionality covers more than 100,000 titles from major publishing entities including Penguin Random House, Macmillan Publishers, O’Reilly Media, and Johns Hopkins University Press. Google also collaborated with 15 authors—including Pollan, Scott, Steven Pinker, and Jennifer Wallace—to design "Featured Notebooks" that include author-curated supplemental materials and introductory letters. Supported titles in the Google Play Books marketplace carry a "Gemini Notebook" designation under their "Tools" tag.

Speaking on the potential for personalized knowledge collections, Johnson said, "I’m really interested in the idea of building a collection of people whose work you really value, and kind of creating your own dream team of advisors that are just available to you wherever you go,"

To protect intellectual property rights, Google has integrated access restrictions into the software. When a user shares a workspace that references a purchased e-book, recipients who do not own the title can view the work listed as a source, but they cannot read the complete text or access AI outputs derived from it. Clicking on the source link prompts non-owners to purchase the book via Google Play Books.

Addressing the business model for content creators and publishers, Johnson noted, "We want to be able to create a space where users can bring whatever knowledge, whatever expertise they think is going to be most relevant and do it in a way that creates new revenue possibilities for authors and publishers as well,"

Google plans to roll out Expert Intelligence capabilities across AI Mode in Search and the main Gemini app, both of which already possess integration with Gemini Notebook. Furthermore, Johnson indicated that Google intends to expand the underlying framework to include scientific journals, magazines, and news publications.