Google adds “Expert Intelligence” to Gemini Notebook, tying AI answers to owned Google Play ebooks

Google on Tuesday introduced “Expert Intelligence,” a new capability for its Gemini Notebook that aims to connect generative AI with trusted, author-provided sources. The company’s pitch is straightforward: when users want answers or study aids based on a book, Gemini Notebook should be able to draw directly from that book, rather than producing generalized responses.

Expert Intelligence is built around a practical workflow. Users can incorporate insights from “select ebooks you’ve purchased from Google Play Books” directly into Gemini Notebook. Once a book is added, users can ask questions about the book and receive responses grounded in that title. Google also says users can use Gemini Notebook to generate study outputs derived from the book, including infographics, audio overviews, quizzes, and other formats.

The feature is positioned as a cross-Google initiative that extends beyond a single product. Google says it is starting with Gemini Notebook, but plans to broaden access to “more opportunities” to engage with Expert Intelligence-enabled content. It specifically points to the Gemini app and “AI Mode in Search” as future avenues, and says additional source types such as third-party subscriptions, business research reports, and textbooks are expected “soon.”

In terms of availability, Google is launching with a large catalog. The company says Expert Intelligence launches today with more than 100,000 books from major publishers, naming Bloomsbury, De Gruyter Brill, Johns Hopkins University Press, Macmillan Publishers, O’Reilly Media, and Penguin Random House. Google also says it has worked closely with more than 15 bestselling authors, naming Steven Pinker, Michael Pollan, and Jennifer Wallace, to curate special “Featured Notebooks” that supplement their books with additional sources and engaging artifacts.

Google is also describing controls designed to limit access to the text being used for AI generation. It says that for a person to interact with a book in Gemini Notebook, they must own the book through Google Play Books. If a notebook is shared with other collaborators, those collaborators will be prompted to purchase their own copy to continue engaging with the content. Otherwise, the book will be unavailable within their notebook.

The effort reflects an approach increasingly common across AI products: steering users toward content that the system can attribute and reference more directly. By requiring ownership through Google Play Books, Google is attempting to keep the “grounding” mechanism tied to a specific user-owned ebook, while also creating a clearer link between consumer purchases and AI-enabled features.

Google’s rollout includes a limited-time promotional offer. The company says it is providing a book on us in the United States for one copy of an eligible ebook, with the offer applied at checkout using the promotional code “EXPERTINTELLIGENCE.” Google specifies the promotion is available to participants with US-based Google accounts who receive the promotional code, is valid while supplies last, is non-reloadable with no cash value, and cannot be combined with other offers. Age restrictions apply.

What Google did not fully spell out in the release is how Expert Intelligence will handle edge cases, such as what happens when a user asks questions that are only partially covered by the book, or whether responses are constrained to exact passages versus broader interpretations of the content. The company also does not describe whether the system shows citations back to the ebook text, which would be a key detail for readers who want to verify claims generated by AI.

As Expert Intelligence expands, the main question will be how well it delivers on Google’s trusted-content goal in everyday use. Users and publishers will likely watch for the breadth of eligible titles, the depth of the AI outputs derived from books, and how smoothly the ownership and sharing controls work in group settings. Google says more products are coming beyond Gemini Notebook, which could quickly determine whether this becomes a niche feature or a core part of how Gemini interacts with long-form information.