Can NotebookLM do data analysis?

NotebookLM is a document intelligence tool, not a data analysis platform. It cannot run calculations, create visualizations, execute code, or handle statistical models. What it does well is qualitative analysis: upload research reports, interview transcripts, or survey summaries and ask it to identify themes, compare perspectives, or surface recurring patterns.

For quantitative work — calculating averages, running regressions, building dashboards — use Python, R, Excel, or ChatGPT with Code Interpreter. NotebookLM works best alongside these tools, not instead of them. Load your analysis reports into NotebookLM after you have done the number-crunching, and use it to synthesize findings into written summaries, narratives, and research notes.