> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # NotebookLM's June upgrade: agentic research, code-running notebooks, and what it means for Australians - URL: https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/news-notebooklm-australia/ - Published: 2026-06-24T23:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-09T06:46:03.000Z - Description: Google rebuilt NotebookLM on 8 June 2026 — agentic research, code-running notebooks and new export formats. The catch for Australians is the paywall: the best of it sits behind Google AI Ultra. Here's what's worth knowing. - Author: Adam - Tags: News, Productivity, #news **Posted:** 25 June 2026 · **Category:** Productivity --- > **ℹ Editor's note, 23 September 2026:** Google renamed **NotebookLM** to **Gemini Notebook** in July 2026\. This is a dated record and keeps the name that was correct when it was written; the [review](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/review-notebooklm-australia-2026/) carries the current name. **TL;DR:** On 8 June 2026 Google gave NotebookLM its biggest rebuild yet — moving it onto Gemini 3.5, adding agentic web research, a code-running "cloud computer" in every notebook, and new export formats. It's a genuine step up. But the headline features roll out first to **Google AI Ultra** subscribers and Workspace business customers on the top AI tiers, so for most Australian small-business users the free product is still the one to plan around. Worth watching, not worth paying up for yet. ## What changed Google announced the upgrade on its own blog on 8 June 2026\. Three things matter. - **A smarter engine.** NotebookLM now runs on **Gemini 3.5**, which Google says delivers more accurate answers and clearer visibility into how the model reaches them. - **Agentic research.** You no longer need a finished set of sources to begin. NotebookLM can take a loose idea or open question and go build a source library for you, using Google Search to pull in relevant web pages and primary documents across multiple languages. - **Code-running notebooks.** Every notebook now gets its own secure cloud computer, so NotebookLM can write and run code to do deeper analysis on your material. Outputs expand too — beyond audio and video overviews to charts, spreadsheets, structured data files and PowerPoint decks. ## Why it matters for Australians The substance is real, but read the access line carefully. Google says the upgrade rolls out globally on the web from 8 June to **Google AI Ultra** subscribers and Workspace business customers with AI Ultra Access or AI Expanded Access. Australia is included in "globally" — but the gate is the subscription, not your postcode. That matters here because Google AI Ultra is a premium plan. For a Melbourne consultant or a small firm that has been using free NotebookLM to turn reports and PDFs into briefings, none of the marquee June features land for you on the free tier. The free product is still useful and still improving, but the agentic research and code execution are paid-plan territory. The practical takeaway: if your work is research-heavy — building a literature base, analysing a stack of documents, turning data into a deck — the upgraded NotebookLM is now worth a serious trial. Just price the AI Ultra subscription in AUD before you commit, and check it against what you already pay for Gemini, because the two increasingly overlap. ## Does this change our recommendation? Not yet. NotebookLM remains a standout for source-grounded research, and this upgrade widens that lead — but only for people on the paid tiers, which most of our readers aren't. We'll revisit our scoring once the agentic and code features reach the free product, since that's the version most Australians actually use. See where it lands in our [NotebookLM review](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/review-notebooklm-australia-2026/) and how Google's wider AI stack stacks up in our [Google Gemini review](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/google-gemini-review-australia/). --- ## Sources - Google — "Do your best research with NotebookLM" (primary): https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/products/notebooklm/better-research-notebooklm/ (announced 8 June 2026; Gemini 3.5, agentic research, code execution, expanded outputs, Google AI Ultra + Workspace AI Ultra/Expanded rollout). Wayback Machine snapshot queued. - Google Workspace Updates — "New ways to customize and interact with your content in NotebookLM" (primary, March 2026): https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2026/03/new-ways-to-customize-and-interact-with-your-content-in-NotebookLM.html (saved conversations, customisation). Wayback Machine snapshot queued. - Google — "What's new in NotebookLM: Video Overviews and an upgraded Studio" (primary, July 2025 context): https://blog.google/technology/google-labs/notebooklm-video-overviews-studio-upgrades/. Wayback Machine snapshot queued.