Google is rolling out a cutting-edge product for users to experiment with, once again emphasizing artificial intelligence. This new feature, named Daily Listen, aggregates news stories from your Discover feed and web search results to create a concise podcast detailing current events. Essentially, it serves as a tailored daily news summary designed exclusively for you.

While there hasn’t been a formal announcement from Google regarding this feature, essential information has been shared with various media outlets, including 9to5Google. Additionally, Google engineers such as Simon Tokumine and Usama Bin Shafqat are actively promoting the feature on social platforms. Both are affiliated with Google Labs, the department responsible for trialing the company’s latest innovations.

Current users can access Daily Listen via the Google application on either Android or iOS, but it’s presently a Search Labs exclusive for individuals located in the U.S. To try out Daily Listen, users must opt-in by tapping on the flask icon found in the upper left corner of the Home tab within the app. Spaces may be limited, as indicated by Tokumine, and more details about Search Labs can be accessed here.

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Once opted in, the Daily Listen feature will appear beneath the primary search bar on the Home tab. By selecting it, listeners receive approximately five minutes of summarized news tailored to their interests—curated based on prior searches and the content displayed on the Discover page—voiced by an AI narrator. An accompanying text transcript and links to the referenced articles will also be provided at the conclusion of each summary.

The usual playback controls found in podcasts are available, allowing users to modify playback speed as needed. A standard disclaimer reads, “Generative AI is experimental,” suggesting that some parts of the synthesized news segments might lack full accuracy, a point Google has not highlighted in connection with this feature.

This technology may seem familiar, as users can already create similar outputs using Google’s NotebookLM tool. In that context, users can generate documents by combining various texts, documents, and web links collected throughout their projects, utilizing similar AI capabilities to summarize information, adjust tone, and produce audio renditions of the results.

The same technology has been utilized in NotebookLM.
Credit: Google

A representative from Google conveyed to Search Engine Land that Daily Listen offers “a personalized AI-powered audio experience on the Google app for Android and iOS, enabling users to effortlessly remain informed about their preferred topics. For those familiar with NotebookLM’s Audio Overviews, think of it as a concise summary of essential information, customized for you!”

While there’s no assurance that Daily Listen will advance beyond its experimental phase, Google has a history of discontinuing features that don’t catch on. However, if it does move forward, enhancements and additional functionalities can be expected. Future iterations might offer interaction with the podcast or allow for customization, similar to the capabilities found in NotebookLM’s podcast creator (notably, both Daily Listen and NotebookLM utilize the same AI technology).

It may take up to a day for the Daily Listen feature to appear in Search Labs after opting in. As with other Google experimental products, user feedback will be crucial, starting with thumbs up or down ratings on the podcast player.