Google Labs Unveils New Design: 6 Compelling Reasons to Explore

If you're familiar with Google's AI technology, you might immediately think of their chatbot, Gemini. But Google's been busy cooking up a whole range of other generative AI projects that can boost your productivity, create music, organize your documents, and more. While many of these projects haven't been officially released, you can give them a whirl through Google Labs, the company's testing ground for new ideas and products, which recently got a fresh new look.

The revamped Google Labs site, which debuted on Tuesday, now makes it easier for you to discover and dive into these new experiments. This update coincided with the launch of several new AI experiments on Wednesday, including Project Mariner, Jules, Project Astra, Gemini in Colab, and others.

Also: Gemini's new Deep Research feature searches the web for you - like an assistant

One of the coolest things about trying out the latest Google Labs experiments is that they're constantly being updated with new features, ensuring you get a unique and helpful experience each time.

Another big advantage of using Labs is the ability to give feedback. Your input can directly influence whether these experiments make it to the public and what tweaks are made before they do. Let's take a closer look at some experiments you can start exploring today.

1. AI Overviews in Search

When Google introduced the Search Generative Experience (SGE), their AI-powered version of Google Search, you needed to opt into Search Labs to access it. By doing so, you could see AI-generated insights at the top of your search results, summarizing the information Google thought would answer your query best.

At Google I/O, they announced that AI Overviews, powered by a new Gemini model tailored for Google Search, are now available to everyone in the US.

Also: Google's favorite Chrome extensions of 2024 can save you time and money

Even though the feature is rolling out widely, opting into AI Overviews in Labs gives you priority access. If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, definitely sign up.

2. https://img.xix.aiNotebookLM

Back in the summer of 2023, Google launched https://img.xix.aiNotebookLM, their "AI-first Notebook." This tool works with the content you provide to summarize, explain, and highlight key topics and questions to help you better understand the material.

Also: How to use Google's AI-powered https://img.xix.aiNotebookLM to organize your research

You can upload a Google Doc, a PDF, Google Slides, or URLs, and then ask questions about the content or let https://img.xix.aiNotebookLM generate content based on your inputs. This can be a game-changer for students. You can upload all your class notes and materials, and https://img.xix.aiNotebookLM will help you stay organized and enhance your notes with AI assistance.

https://img.xix.aiNotebookLM can create study guides, briefing documents, FAQs, summaries, and more. It can also chat with you about the content and answer your questions. To test it out, I uploaded a PDF of one of my articles, and within seconds, https://img.xix.aiNotebookLM provided an accurate AI-generated summary, as shown in the image above.

The tool has gained popularity for its Audio Overview feature, which lets users engage in AI-driven conversations about their notebook content. These discussions are led by two AI-generated hosts who use your content's context to explain complex topics, make analogies, and keep the conversation flowing with you.

3. https://img.xix.aiMusicFX

Forget needing musical talent to create songs. With https://img.xix.aiMusicFX, you can use AI to generate tunes. Just type in what you want to hear, and within seconds, your track is ready for you to enjoy. You can even download or share your creation. Keep in mind, though, that https://img.xix.aiMusicFX is more of a fun, experimental tool rather than something to boost your productivity.

4. https://img.xix.aiIlluminate

Research papers can be long and filled with technical jargon that's tough to grasp. https://img.xix.aiIlluminate, a new Google Labs experiment, aims to break down these papers into short, understandable audio conversations.

Also: This Google AI tool could be your new favorite study aid - and it's free

https://img.xix.aiIlluminate uses AI to tailor the content to your learning style, making it easier to understand. You can join the waitlist and learn more about https://img.xix.aiIlluminate by visiting Google Labs.

5. GenType

GenType is a fun AI experiment that generates an alphabet using Imagen 2. From a single prompt, it creates AI images for all 26 letters of the English alphabet. This idea came about when a Google employee wanted to use Imagen to help his kids learn the alphabet visually by generating letters from familiar objects. While it might not have practical everyday uses, it's definitely entertaining.

6. Join the waitlist for highly anticipated features

Due to high demand, many experiments have waitlists. Don't let this discourage you; joining is easy with a Google account, and you've got nothing to lose by waiting.

Some of the waitlisted experiments include:

• Gemini in Colab - An experimental data science agent
• Jules - An experimental agent for developers that can automate coding tasks in GitHub
• VideoFX - A text-to-video generator
• Ask Photos - Search your photos conversationally with Gemini

How to join Google Labs

If you're eager to try any of these or future experiments, sign up for Google Labs. Just head to the Google Labs homepage and click on the experiment you're interested in.

Also: Google's Gemini 2.0 AI promises to be faster and smarter via agentic advances

The sign-up process can vary depending on the experiment, but typically, you'll need to sign in with your personal Google account or create a new one. Remember, using a workplace account might block access to these experimental features.

Some experiments have specific instructions for early users. If you're on a waitlist, keep an eye on your email for notifications about when you can start using the feature.