Recently, I came across an absolutely brilliant video from fellow creator Helena Liu, where she shared a system that does exactly this. (You can—and should—watch her full video here.
Her method uses Perplexity.ai and Google’s NotebookLM (which is part of the Gemini family) to create a personalised video lecture on any topic you want. I tried it, and it’s like having a private tutor on demand. It’s my new favourite way to tackle a complex subject.
Here’s the simple, 3-step process she outlines.
1. Curate Your “Brain” (with Perplexity)
First, you need to gather high-quality sources. Instead of just asking an AI to “teach me Python,” you’re going to act as a researcher. Helena uses Perplexity.ai to find “the top 30 online resources for learning Python.” The key is to get a list of high-quality URLs. This list becomes the “brain” for your AI tutor.
Context: I like to learn Javascript. Please give me the top 20 to 50 resources that you can find online that teaches this. Note the site is not the product page. Give me the URLs only.
2. Feed Your “Tutor” (with NotebookLM)
Second, we’re going to use Google’s NotebookLM, which is completely free. This is where the powerful “combo” happens. You create a new notebook and add your sources, pasting the entire list of URLs you just gathered from Perplexity. NotebookLM will instantly “read” and index all of those websites—something that would take us hours.
3. Generate Your Lecture
Finally, this is where the magic happens. In NotebookLM, you’ll see a feature called “Video Overview.” You just click it. The AI synthesizes all those sources into a structured video lecture with slides and a voiceover.
This is so powerful because it forces the AI to use a form of the Feynman Technique—it has to simplify and structure complex information to “teach” it back to you.
The Takeaway
Huge thanks to Helena for this system. It’s a perfect example of using AI not just as an “answer machine” but as a system for learning. You’re moving from passive consumption (reading text) to active, curated learning. Give this combo a try—it’s free, and it might just change how you study.
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” — Alvin Toffler
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