I am pleased to announce that the Google Gemini Web App and NotebookLM are now available to all non-student UCSB employees with campus-issued Google accounts.
What are Gemini and NotebookLM?
The Gemini app is a general-purpose AI assistant. It offers a wide range of AI-powered features, including natural language processing, code generation, and research assistance.
NotebookLM is an AI-powered research and note-taking tool that uses Gemini. It allows users to ground the AI in their specific documents to generate summaries, answer questions, and create outlines.
What is special about UCSB's access to these tools?
Through our campus licensing agreement, UCSB users have access to Google's most recent models and features, including those powered by Gemini. This gives the UCSB community a significant advantage in accessing the latest advancements in AI technology.
What about my data and privacy?
Your access to these tools through the UC agreement is protected by the University of California’s data and privacy policies. This means that your data and conversations are not used to train Google's generative AI models and will not be accessed by human reviewers. Guidance about approved campus AI tools and types of data that they are appropriate for can be found here.
How do I use these tools? While using Google Gemini is not required, it's easy to get started if you'd like to explore its capabilities:
- Sign in to your UCSBnetID@ucsb.edu account.
- Tip: you can hover over the picture/icon in the upper right corner of your screen to confirm you are signed in to the correct account
- Navigate to gemini.google.com or notebooklm.google.com
- For Gemini, you should see a watermark that says “Gemini for University of California Santa Barbara,” confirming you're using the campus-approved version.
- You can also access Gemini by clicking on the icon in your Google apps (there is not currently an icon for NotebookLM):
When should I use these tools?
Gemini is useful whenever you need assistance with information retrieval, content creation, problem-solving or creative exploration. NotebookLM uses content you provide to aid in research, analysis, and organization. As these tools evolve, capabilities and potential use cases will only expand.
Responsible AI at UCSB
To help you navigate these new tools responsibly, the Office of the CIO has launched guidance and information on responsible use of artificial intelligence tools at UCSB. This guidance, which draws on the University of California's AI Principles, is intended for members of the campus community who engage with AI for research, teaching, administrative work, and other university-associated functions. UCSB’s Academic Senate division is actively working on specific guidance for AI use in an academic context.
Need help with your Google account?
Please submit a ticket to ithelp.ucsb.edu or call (805) 893-5000.
We're here to support you as you explore the potential of Gemini.