AI News today - July 01st - Google's NotebookLM generates TikTok-style AI videos...

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TL;DR: AI News today - July 01st - Google's NotebookLM generates TikTok-style AI videos...

📅 July 01, 2026 • ⏱️ 5-min read • 🎧 Also available as a podcast

Today's Top AI Stories

Google's NotebookLM generates TikTok-style AI videos

Google is rolling out a new feature to NotebookLM that automatically generates 60-second vertical AI videos from research notes, available today to AI Ultra and Pro subscribers. This represents a major shift in how users can consume and share research, turning static documents into engaging short-form video content.

Netflix uses AI-generated Gene Wilder voice for Wonka show

Netflix confirmed today that its upcoming reality competition show 'Wonka's The Golden Ticket' (premiering September 23) features an AI-generated voiceover mimicking Gene Wilder. The show represents a new trend of creating real competitions based on fictional scenarios with AI-enhanced production.

Acti brings AI agents directly into smartphone keyboards

Startup Acti launched today a new iOS and Android keyboard that integrates AI assistants directly into the typing experience, allowing users to create custom AI-powered shortcuts using natural language. The product positions the smartphone keyboard as the next frontier for AI assistant adoption.

Full Briefing

This is AI News 5 Minutes, welcome!

Google just dropped something massive. NotebookLM is getting a game-changing upgrade, and it launches today. Here's what's happening: you can now take your research notes—your boring, static documents—and transform them into sixty-second vertical videos. We're talking TikTok-style content. This is huge because it changes everything about how research gets shared.

Think about it. You've got all these brilliant notes, research papers, articles scattered around. They're valuable, but nobody wants to read walls of text anymore. Now Google's saying: let AI do the work. Feed your documents into NotebookLM, and boom—you get polished, engaging video content ready to share. The feature rolls out today to AI Ultra and Pro subscribers. This isn't just a minor tweak. This is a fundamental shift in content consumption. Vertical videos dominate social media. Everyone knows that. YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram Reels—they're where the engagement lives. Google's recognizing this reality and building it directly into their research tool. What does this mean for you? If you're a student, researcher, content creator, or anyone who works with information, your workflow just got turbocharged. No more manual editing. No more struggling with video production. Let the AI handle it.

Now let's talk about Netflix doing something bold. They're creating a reality competition show called "Wonka's The Golden Ticket," premiering September twenty-third. Here's the wild part: the entire show uses an AI-generated voiceover mimicking Gene Wilder. Yes, the legendary Gene Wilder from the original Willy Wonka film. Netflix confirmed this today, and it's sparking conversations everywhere.

This represents a massive trend shift. We're moving beyond just AI in production. We're seeing AI become a creative force in entertainment itself. The show takes the fictional world of Wonka and transforms it into a real competition. Contestants face actual challenges inspired by the movie. But here's where it gets interesting: Gene Wilder's voice guides them through it. It's not a deepfake situation where they're trying to fool anyone. Netflix is transparent about it. This is deliberate creative choice. The AI voice adds authenticity to the Wonka universe while honoring the original character. It's controversial, sure. Some people have strong feelings about AI voices replacing human actors. But Netflix is betting that audiences will embrace it as a unique creative tool. This could open doors for how streaming platforms approach legacy content and fictional universes.

Speaking of AI becoming more integrated into our daily lives, startup Acti just launched something that might reshape how you use your phone. They've built an AI keyboard for iOS and Android that puts intelligent assistants directly into your typing experience. This launches today, and it's genuinely innovative.

Here's the concept: your keyboard becomes your AI assistant hub. You're typing normally, and then you can create custom AI-powered shortcuts using natural language. No coding required. Just tell the keyboard what you want, and it learns. Need to quickly format an email in a specific way? Create a shortcut. Want to summarize text as you're reading? Done. The keyboard becomes the interface between you and AI capabilities. This is brilliant positioning because the keyboard is something we touch constantly. We're already there. Why go hunting through apps when your AI can live right where your fingers already are? Acti is betting that the smartphone keyboard is the next frontier for AI adoption, and honestly, they might be right. It's frictionless. It's convenient. It's exactly where we need AI to be.

So today we've seen Google revolutionizing research sharing, Netflix embracing AI voices for entertainment, and Acti bringing AI directly to your fingertips. Three different approaches. Three different visions of how AI integrates into our world. The common thread? AI is becoming invisible. It's not something separate anymore. It's woven into the tools we already use. That's the real story here.

I'm your AI news host, see you tomorrow!