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How to sign up for Google Labs (and 5 reasons why you should)
When you think of Google's AI developments, you may only think of its AI chatbot -- Gemini. However, the company has many other generative AI experiments under wraps with different and unique purposes, including ones for enhancing your workflow, helping you generate music, optimizing your search experience, and more. Although these projects haven't been officially released yet, you can try them out via Google Labs.
Also: Meet Veo, Google's most advanced text-to-video generator, unveiled at Google I/O 2024
At Google l/O, the company unveiled several exciting updates and projects, including an improved AI-infused Search experience, a major NotebookLM upgrade, and a brand new Illuminate experiment. You can access all of these through Labs, Google's platform for testing early ideas for features and products.
Another major Labs perk is that users can provide feedback, ultimately impacting whether the experiments are deployed and what changes are made before they are released. Keep reading to learn why you should join Google Labs and how to access each experiment.
When Google first unveiled the Search Generative Experience (SGE), an AI-infused Google Search, users had to opt into Search Labs to get access. By opting in, users had access to AI insights at the top of their search result page, which displayed a summary of the information Google thought would satisfy their query.
At Google I/O, the company announced that AI Overviews, supported by a new Gemini model customized for Google Search, will be available to everyone in the U.S. starting today.
Also: The 4 biggest Google Search features announced at Google I/O 2024
Even though the feature is rolling out to everyone, people who opt-in to AI Overviews in Labs will be given priority access. So, if this feature interests you, you should sign up to guarantee you get access as soon as possible.
Last summer, Google launched NotebookLM, its "AI-first Notebook," which works with the content you input into your notebook to offer tasks such as summarizing the content of the document, brainstorming, explaining, and providing you with key topics and questions you can ask to understand the material better.
Also: How to use Google's AI-powered NotebookLM to organize your research
The sources you can insert include a Google Doc, PDF, or copied text, and then you can ask questions about the content or have it auto-generate content from your inputs on its own. This can be especially helpful if you are a student and input all of your class notes and materials into this one place, which could not only help you stay organized but also add AI assistance to your notes.
To test it out, I inserted a PDF of my own article, and then, within seconds, I was provided an accurate AI-generated summary. You can see my results in the image above.
At Google I/O, the company supercharged NotebookLM by upgrading it to Gemini 1.5 Pro. In addition to giving NotebookLM a longer context window, meaning users can upload larger material, the upgrade also gives NotebookLM the ability to output audio responses. Using Gemini 1.5 Pro, it can take user content and generate an interactive audio conversation.
To generate music, you no longer have to have a good understanding of the topic. Rather, you can use AI with MusicFX. Although this is definitely more of a fun experimental tool than one that will increase productivity, it is fun to play around with.
Also: Meet Gemini AI Live: Like FaceTiming with a friend who knows everything
All you need to do is type in a prompt of what you'd like to hear and then, within seconds, your track will be available for your listening pleasure. You can even download or share your masterpiece.
Illuminate is a brand experiment announced at Google I/O that aims to help users break down research papers into short audio conversations. If you have ever had to read a research paper, you know it is extremely long and often uses lots of technical jargon that makes it difficult to understand.
Also: Google's new 'Ask Photos' AI solves a problem I have every day
Now, Illuminate uses AI to adjust the content to your learning preferences so that you can have an easier time understanding the material. You can access the waitlist and learn more about Illuminate by visiting Google Labs.
If you are a developer working on personal AI projects, you can share them with Google for a chance to be featured in Google's experiment gallery.
According to Google, the company is looking for "projects that push the boundaries of what code can do. Projects with unique visual aesthetics. Projects that help inspire other coders." The page includes different criteria that it is specifically looking for, as well as the form to submit the experiment details.
How to join Google Labs
If you're interested in trying any of these experiments or future ones, you can sign up for Google Labs access today, and doing so is easy. All you have to do is visit the Google Labs homepage and then click on the experiment you want to try. Depending on the experiment, the sign-up process may vary, but generally, it will prompt you to sign in to your personal Google account or create one if you don't have one. Remember to use your personal account because many features, including SGE, are blocked for workplace accounts.
Also: 3 new Gemini Advanced features unveiled at Google I/O 2024
Other experiments, such as Help Me Script and Magic Compose, have specific instructions that you need to follow to be an early user, and in those cases, follow the necessary steps to get you signed up. If the experiment you signed up for has a waitlist, keep a close eye on your email, which is where you will be notified when you make it off the list.