{"id":99844,"date":"2024-01-11T16:33:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-11T21:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freethink.com\/?post_type=ftm_article&p=99844"},"modified":"2024-01-12T12:11:46","modified_gmt":"2024-01-12T17:11:46","slug":"rabbit-r1","status":"publish","type":"ftm_article","link":"https:\/\/www.freethink.com\/robots-ai\/rabbit-r1","title":{"rendered":"AI startup Rabbit\u2019s R1 device sells out in 24 hours"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Rabbit \u2014 an AI startup on a mission to create \u201cthe world\u2019s simplest computer<\/a>\u201d \u2014 has just unveiled R1, so hyped, the first batch of devices sold out within 24 hours. People who were able to get their order in could be getting the first devices as soon as March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The challenge:<\/strong> If someone told you “There’s an app for that” back in 2009, when Apple<\/a> first debuted the slogan, you might have been pleasantly surprised and thanked them for the tip while navigating to the App Store. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, you might be more inclined to roll your eyes. Of course there\u2019s an app for \u201cthat\u201d \u2014 with more than 4 million apps<\/a> available for download between the Apple\u2019s App Store and Google\u2019s Play Store, there\u2019s an app for everything<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve come to a point where we have hundreds of apps on our smartphones with complicated UX designs that don\u2019t talk to each other,\u201d said<\/a> Jesse Lyu, founder and CEO of Rabbit. \u201cAs a result, end users are frustrated with their devices and are often getting lost.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our Large Action Model … generates actions on behalf of users to help us get things done.”<\/p>Jesse Lyu<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The idea<\/strong>: Rabbit\u2019s new AI-powered device, R1, is designed to free you from the hassle of navigating countless individual apps on your phone. Just tell the device what you want it to do \u2014 \u201cOrder an Uber<\/a> to take me to work,\u201d for example \u2014 and it\u2019ll carry out the task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Large Language Models, like ChatGPT, showed the possibility of understanding natural language with AI,\u201d said Lyu. \u201cOur Large Action Model takes it one step further: it doesn\u2019t just generate text in response to human input \u2014 it generates actions on behalf of users to help us get things done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How it works<\/strong>: The palm-sized R1 is bright orange-red with a touchscreen display taking up about 75% of its front. Next to the screen is an analog scroll wheel, and beside it, on the side of the device, is a button you hold when you want to talk to your R1. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Above the scroll wheel is a camera, called the \u201cRabbit Eye.\u201d It can rotate 360 degrees, so you can turn it toward you for selfies or video calls and away from you to take pictures or videos. When not in use, you can face the camera up or down, essentially closing the \u201ceye.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We never save your username and password, and we don’t track your data.”<\/p>Jesse Lyu<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

R1\u2019s operating system, Rabbit OS, includes a web portal, the \u201cRabbit Hole,\u201d where you can choose which popular apps, such as Uber, Spotify, and Amazon, you want to activate on the device after connecting it to Wi-Fi or a cell plan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe never save your username and password, and we don’t track your data,\u201d said Lyu during a presentation at CES 2024. \u201cThe authentication happens on the respective apps.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once activated, you can simply tell your R1 what you want it to do through those services while holding the talk button \u2014 this action eliminates the need for the device to constantly listen in for you to say a \u201cwake word.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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