In the modern world of technology, there is no shortage of AI-powered assistants that can do various tasks on your behalf. We have them on our smartphones, TVs, tablets, PCs, and even smart speakers in our homes. However, a new AI startup Rabbit believes there is a different and better way to be an AI companion. It has announced a dedicated AI companion device called Rabbit R1 at the ongoing CES 2024 in Las Vegas which can run apps on your behalf.
Why would you want such a device to run apps for you?
Let’s assume you’ve a mundane-yet-specific task, such as renaming a sheet on Microsoft Excel. You’d typically open the app, make a few clicks and then press few keys to achieve your end result. Well, you can just teach the Rabbit R1 how to do this once, and then, with the help of a simple voice command, it can do such tasks for you by remembering each step along the way, every single time.
Rabbit R1 is very similar to your usual voice-based assistants, but it’s distinction lies in the fact that it is capable of learning intricate tasks and doing them for you, much like an intern.
Is the Rabbit R1 Available in India?
The Rabbit R1 hasn’t been announced for Indian markets as of now, but the company says global orders will start shipping later this year. Within the U.S., however, it is priced at USD 199 (about Rs 16,551) with pre-orders currently live. The estimated shipping timeline is of late March 2024 for U.S. orders. Rabbit says there’ll be no additional subscription charges. It is available in a single Orange colour.
Rabbit R1 AI Companion Device Features
The Rabbit R1 is an squarish orange-coloured device that can be carried in one’s pocket. It sports a 2.88-inch touchscreen display and a push-to-talk button. This button is meant for navigation and interaction with the device’s built-in digital assistant. It weighs only 115 grams.
The R1 is based on the company’s own “Large Action Model” (LAM). It is said to be capable of learning from the user’s usage habits like how they use an app and at what time. It is important to note that the device itself has no apps installed. This is because it is not meant to replace your smartphone. It is only meant to serve as an assistant to help you get things done.
The device comes loaded with Rabbit OS. All a user needs to do is authorise it to access apps on their behalf. The authorisation to use apps on your behalf takes place through a web page called Rabbit Hole. It has links to several popular apps from where you can sign into respective accounts. In the future, it will get an experimental feature that will allow users to train the AI in a way to get very specific tasks done.
Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu described R1’s working the same as handing your smartphone to a friend and telling them to play a song or booking a cab on your behalf.
The process undoubtedly raises privacy concerns. However, Rabbit says it does not store any user credentials and all the authentication happens at the third-party service’s end. It further adds users can choose to unlink accounts and delete stored data anytime they want.
The Rabbit R1 is powered by a MediaTek processor clocked at 2.3GHz. There is 4GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. The tiny display on the front will show you relevant details related to the task it is performing. It also has two microphones, a speaker, and a rotating camera. There is a USB Type-C port and a SIM card slot for on-the-go internet connectivity.
