Open Notebook: Open Source AI Learning Tool with Customizable Apps
By
Nazar Ilamanov
A bagel that needed a few more minutes. And maybe a fact-check.
Summary
Open Notebook is an open-source alternative to NotebookLM that allows users to upload various sources (PDFs, research papers, URLs) and interact with them through AI-powered features. The tool enables chatting with AI about uploaded content or running customizable "apps" that transform sources, such as creating short video overviews or generating digestible summaries. Created by Nazar to address the challenges of learning new information, the platform offers familiar NotebookLM UI with fully customizable applications including video generators and podcast creators.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledOpen Notebook is a customizable AI tool for self-learning
You upload your sources (PDFs, research papers, URLs, etc.), then you can either chat with an AI about them or run "apps" that transform your sources
Apps can do anything - right now I've built two: Turn a source into a short, fun video overview and Summarize a source into digestible takeaways
I built Open Notebook to solve one of my own biggest problems - the pain of learning something new
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