(Credit: Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images))
Overwhelmed by long documents that you don’t want to read? Google thinks it can help with short, podcast-like summaries.
Audio summaries provide a brief overview of any Google Docs file you upload. Last summer, Google introduced a tool that uses Gemini to read an entire document aloud, but this new feature produces a summary that should come in at under three minutes.
"Audio summaries provide a short verbal synopsis of the contents in your document, including multiple tabs," Google says. "These summaries are typically under a few minutes long, and use a natural speaking style to help you catch up quickly and efficiently."
This probably won't be helpful for important files where you need to ensure you’ve understood everything, but if you need a quick rundown of the highlights, Gemini's tool may be helpful.
(Credit: Google)The feature is only available to those who pay for Google AI Pro or Ultra, as well as to those on Business Standard or Plus, Enterprise Standard or Plus, or who have a business or education Google AI add-on. It's rolling out now and should be available for eligible users by month's end.
To find the feature, head to Tools > Audio > Listen to document summary. It’ll make a small play bar appear within Google Docs, allowing you to toggle controls and scrub through the audio summary. You can pause, increase the speed, and return to an earlier part of the clip.
Google says you can also personalize the experience by choosing a different voice for the audio summary.