“Infer and model human actions on computer interfaces by learning users’ intention and behavior when they use specific apps, and then mimic and perform them both reliably and quickly.” That’s the promise of a rather cute, but cutting-edge device called the Rabbit R1, which was previewed at CES 2024. In simpler terms, it wants to keep us from getting lost in the maze of smartphone apps.
Instead, it wants to replicate human interactions with apps by learning and then removing them from the equation. And it can do it all without requiring a phone to pair with. Cellular connectivity is part of the package here, as is Wi-Fi, to execute AI-based tasks within apps without actually having to open those apps on your phone.
The idea is to build an app-free experience for human-machine interactions. Instead of tapping on your phone’s touchscreen, you let the device watch and learn and then execute the same task with voice commands in the future.
Imagine the Analogue Pocket gaming handset, remove the buttons, add a camera to it, and throw in some AI. When you do that, you get the Rabbit R1. The entire device weighs just 115 grams (nearly half that of an iPhone 15 Pro Max) and has been designed in collaboration with Teenage Engineering, the brand behind exquisitely crafted and outrageously expensive gadgets.
On the front is a 2.88-inch touch-sensitive display, a button you can press to talk with the machine à la the Humane AI Pin, and a 360-degree rotating camera ready for video calling. There’s also a scroll wheel that lets users quickly move between task cards on the screen. Rabbit is rather bullish on the package, claiming that the R1 can outpace flagship smartphones at executing tasks.
AI, apps, and replacing your smartphone
But design is just one-half of the picture here, as the R1 is all about AI. Instead of running a large language model (LLM) offered by the likes of Meta, the operating system powering the device relies on Rabbit’s in-house foundation model called Large Action Model (LAM) — and it’s the secret sauce behind all the device’s intelligent AI shenanigans.
The Los Angeles-based company says rabbit OS can understand what users want, work with screens and buttons, and perform tasks for the user — just like a helpful assistant. All you need to do is hold the device, bring it close to your mouth, and utter a voice command. The R1 is aimed at accomplishing this by learning a mobile app’s interface, saving it to a cloud-based platform, and then triggering the same task when a user utters the relevant voice command.
Tasks are handled by “rabbits” or AI agents. They will do what the likes of Alexa and Siri can’t. For example, they can make online travel bookings after thorough web research or load an online cart with groceries and pay for it. At launch, this learn-and-duplicate capability will be available for “most popular apps.” But the best part here is the potential for training flexibility.
Remember Siri Shortcuts and custom Android app routines? Well, Rabbit has an experimental feature in development that allows users to create a custom AI agent, aka “rabbit,” that will perform specific tasks in apps of their choice. MediaTek’s Helio P35 powers the Rabbit R1, assisted by 4GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage.
Focus on privacy
There’s a USB-C port for charging, while the battery is said to last a whole day. The company also makes bold claims about privacy. The R1 doesn’t store any login credentials. Let’s say you have Uber installed on your phone. The R1 will learn your task flow and then execute it with voice commands in the future, but your login identity will still be verified on Uber’s servers.
Users will also be able to delete all the data stored on them at their convenience and specify the tasks that can or can’t be deployed to the AI agents called “rabbits.” The R1 also puts a special emphasis on the world-facing privacy aspect. The R1 only starts listening once the physical button is pressed, while the camera defaults to gazing down.
For now, Rabbit R1 is only available in the U.S. and will be up for grabs from the company’s official website. Preorders are now live, and shipments are slated to kick off in March.
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Nadeem is a tech journalist who started reading about cool smartphone tech out of curiosity and soon started writing…
Humane’s AI Pin looks like a miserable smartphone replacement
I should be so excited about the Humane AI Pin. It’s sci-fi-cool mobile tech wrapped up in a slick futuristic design with functionality that immediately makes me think of Star Trek. But when I really think about what it does and how it works, all I see is how it’s sucking all the fun out of smartphones, digital communication, and life in general.
If it truly represents the future of mobile, then you can keep it. I’ll stick with my iPhone, and this is why.
It’s very serious indeed
Humane launches AI Pin (full presentation)
4 AI features I want in my next iPhone
Believe it or not, Apple didn’t always have Siri. Siri originally belonged to SRI International, which created Siri, Inc. in 2007. Then in April 2010, Apple acquired Siri, which became a key component of the iPhone 4S that launched in 2011.
Ever since then, Siri has continued to evolve at Apple, for better or for worse. While the point of Siri is to make your life easier with hands-free use of your iPhone or Apple Watch, it’s far from perfect. Siri often misunderstands you and results in hilarious requests, or is just incapable of doing what you need it to do, sometimes because of a poor connection.
Watch this demonstration of the intriguing Ai Pin
Six months after it was first shown off, Humane has announced that its unique Ai Pin device is about to go on sale.
San Francisco-based Humane describes the Ai Pin as “the first wearable device and software platform built to harness the full power of artificial intelligence (AI).”
What is the Ai Pin?
At first glance, it looks a bit like an Apple Watch, but instead of wrapping around your wrist, it sits on your chest. Oh, and it doesn’t have a screen as such, instead projecting a “laser ink display” onto the palm of your hand.
