Google expands Imagen 3 to NotebookLM and more after 200M edits

Google has officially rolled out its Imagen 3 AI image generator to NotebookLM and Google Lens, with Google Photos integration coming soon. The expansion marks a significant broadening of the popular AI tool beyond its original home in Gemini, where it has already completed over 200 million edits since its August launch.

What you should know: Imagen 3 is now live in NotebookLM’s Video Overviews feature, automatically creating illustrations and explanatory diagrams in six visual styles including Watercolor, Papercraft, and Anime.

• In Google Lens, users can snap photos and instantly transform them using a new “Create” mode, currently available in the US and India in English only.
• Google Photos integration is confirmed as “soon” but no specific timeline was provided.

The big picture: This rollout represents Google’s strategy to integrate its successful AI image generation technology across its entire ecosystem, following hints discovered in Android app code earlier this month.

• Android Authority, a tech news site, first spotted references to Imagen 3 in AI Mode for Search, Google Lens, and Circle to Search within the Google app’s beta versions.
• Rajan Patel, Google’s VP of Engineering for Search, teased the expansion on X with “keep your [eyes emoji] peeled [banana emoji]” when resharing coverage of the discoveries.

Why this matters: Imagen 3’s rapid expansion demonstrates how quickly successful AI tools can proliferate across Google’s product suite, potentially making AI image generation a standard feature rather than a specialized tool.

• The tool’s integration into everyday Google services like Photos and Lens could normalize AI image editing for millions of casual users who might never have tried dedicated AI art generators.
• With over 200 million edits completed and multiple social media trends spawned since August, Imagen 3 has proven its mainstream appeal beyond tech enthusiasts.

How it works: The integration varies by platform but maintains the core text-to-image and photo editing capabilities.

• In NotebookLM, the AI automatically generates visual content for Video Overviews without user prompts, selecting from predetermined artistic styles.
• Lens users can capture images and describe desired edits, following the same process established in Gemini.
• Circle to Search integration appears in development but isn’t fully functional yet, according to Android Authority’s testing.

What’s still coming: Beyond the confirmed Google Photos integration, code analysis suggests additional placements across Google’s search ecosystem.

• AI Mode for Search showed a refreshed interface with “Create images” functionality in beta versions.
• Circle to Search displayed non-responsive Create buttons, indicating ongoing development work.