Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech.
Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics.
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Summary
- Gemini Notebooks now pause and ask for direction when creating slide decks and video overviews.
- It suggests topics from your sources and lets you choose which points the assets explore.
- Review toggle lets you tweak outlines or producer notes before rendering, or disable it for hands-off use.
After using AI for a little while, I've come to realise that handing an LLM a task and telling it to "Just get it done" is ripe for disaster. It's always good to have a little bit of a personal touch so the result is just how you like it. As it turns out, people using Google Gemini's Notebook feature have noticed that they have very little control over generating Slide Decks and Video Overviews. Now, Google has added additional customization to Notebooks, where Gemini will pause and ask you the best way to proceed.
Google Gemini Notebooks' Slide Decks and Video Overviews get a bit of a human touch
Now you have a bit more input on how things pan out
As announced on the Google Blog, Gemini Notebooks are letting you steer the output for Slide Decks and Video Overviews. Beforehand, you would sic Gemini on it, and it would generate a result for you without much input; now, it will suggest topics based on your sources and let you pick where you want the assets to explore. The video above shows Gemini presenting the user with a questionnaire before generation, allowing the user to direct the flow better.
There's even a new Review toggle if you want to get granular with it:
"If you want to have even more creative control, you can use our new Review toggle. With this on, you can review the plan in the studio panel by clicking “Review outline notes” for slides and "Review producer notes” for video, plus give additional feedback, like asking to include an executive summary at the beginning or swapping the order of a scene, before anything renders."
Of course, if you know exactly what you want, you can disable this toggle and tell Gemini your requirements. It'll then work away without disturbing you any further. Still, it's good to see new ways to guide the LLM when it's making your content; it saves a lot of headache from prompting and re-prompting until it does what you want it to do.