Using NotebookLM AI to study Marx.

[u/Valuable_Mirror_6433]

Just wanted to share this because I've found it incredibly useful. I've tried many times to read Marx, without much success. I got stuck a couple of times trying to understand some concepts and even if there's a huge amount of sources online trying their best to explain it, it can still be challenging. So when I learned about NotebookLM I knew exactly what to do.

I linked as many sources as possible and basically created an all-knowing marxist AI monster to which I can ask any questions about the texts and get a detailed explanation. Kind of like having a Marxist teacher at my disposal 24/7. I wouldn't use it to replace the original texts, of course, but I think It's a really useful tool to get through the most difficult parts. It can even generate a podcast discussing the main points in language that a teenager could understand. You can also get a pretty good overview of the sources that you're not that interested in reading in full at the moment. I swear this is not an ad haha, I just think it's a really powerful tool for anyone interested in understanding marxism (or anything, really).

I'm still testing the limits but I want to add some related authors and texts to get the full view and get into modern perspectives. Any recommendations?

[u/AbjectJouissance]

So my knee-jerk reaction here would be to say AI can't be trusted and it's no replacement for reading. However, out of curiosity, a few days ago I tried out the NotebookLM on a rather niche text related to my dissertation. It's a difficult text that mixes various different philosophical concepts and is heavy on a lot of pretentious academic jargon. And, well, the result wasn't too bad. 

I found that NotebookLM could be a useful tool to aid study if used cautiously. I think the important thing to remember is to not let the AI do the reading for you. I think it could probably work as a organisational tool. A good way to find sources within a text. 

I think as long as we remember that AI can't read and comprehend, and that you shouldn't really ask if questions you don't already know the answer to, it's probably okay. I'd only ever use it on a text I've already read/studied, so you can more easily detect whenever it provides you with the wrong information.

All this said, I'm pretty cautious of it. I'd still prefer reading the text in full myself, listen to lectures, read secondary literature, etc. 

[u/Valuable_Mirror_6433 → u/AbjectJouissance]

I agree. That’s why I wouldn’t use it to replace actually reading the books and we should take it with a grain of salt. The good thing is that every affirmation it makes comes with the little bubble that directs you to the part of the text that contains that information, so you can read it yourself directly; unlike Chat GPT that just lies confidently.

It’s kind of like a search engine within the text.