"It's cognitive uploading" | How Google NotebookLM's Steven Johnson uses AI as a second brain

Steven Johnson dreamed of building the ultimate research assistant. Now he's doing just that at Google, where he's the co-founder and editorial director of NotebookLM.It's one of the most interesting AI products out there. It radically changes how we learn, research, and remember — and the "notebook" itself is becoming a standard unit of knowledge across Google, rolling out in more and more places where AI needs to reference a body of sources.In this episode, the author of _Where Good Ideas Come From_ explains how AI is making him a better researcher and writer — and why tools like NotebookLM are so powerful when you're trying to make new connections, remember what you've already found, and figure out what's missing.There's a lot of fear right now that AI is making us dumber. That by relying on it too much, we're engaging in "cognitive offloading" and stunting our learning. That's a real risk, especially in schools.But Steven says we should also be talking about what you can gain from AI — and the power of something he calls "cognitive uploading."Resources:* Google NotebookLM: https://notebooklm.google/* Steven Johnson: https://stevenberlinjohnson.com/Support Future Around & Find Out:* Follow Dan on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dblums/* Get the free newsletter: https://www.futurearound.com* Become a paid subscriber and help future proof FAFO! https://www.futurearound.com/upgrade(00:00) - Introduction (01:32) - “The greatest time to be alive” – understanding vs the illusion of understanding (03:48) - How Steven Johnson ended up at Google to build NotebookLM (09:14) - “It sounds like two robots talking to each other” – why AI podcasts need imperfections (12:20) - The original vision for NotebookLM as the ultimate research assistant (16:38) - AI study tools, flashcards, and the future of learning (19:02) - Notebooks are becoming a new format for knowledge (22:14) - “This is the coolest thing” – Dungeons & Dragons players using NotebookLM (25:40) - “It feels like I’m flying” – researching the Gold Rush with AI (29:06) - How AI helps uncover unexpected connections and rabbit holes (32:28) - Why cognitive offloading becomes dangerous in schools (35:42) - Why AI has broken traditional school assessments (38:56) - "Cognitive uploading" - the power of using AI as your second brain