Why does Rabbit Inc. seem to have revolutionized the world of AI?
Just two weeks ago the people at Rabbit Inc. presented at the CESS 2024 their brand new product, and to be honest, after watching the presentation video and a good part of the Keynote, I still had doubts about what I was seeing.. Was it a Tamagotchi? A Pokedex? A Walkman? A Walkie-Talkie? Well, none of those things, and all of them at the same time. It was a bunny in an orange cage. It was clear from the start…
Well, of course it wasn't there, but I couldn't stop looking. —A little further down I'll leave you the Presentation in case you haven't seen it yet—. A device half the size of a conventional smartphone with which you communicated simply by speaking. No keyboard (although we later discovered that it did have one), a screen less than 3″ and a kind of pointless camera that rotated? I had never seen anything like it.
As the presentation progressed, I became more and more curious about what I was seeing. In essence, I didn't have the impression that anything changed, but deep down, something that said that what I was seeing was going to mark a before and after one way or another. I didn't know exactly why, but I was excited.
How does the Rabbit R1 work?
The entire presentation takes place with Jesse Liu speaking to Rabbit R1. The operation is very simple. The side button is pressed and voice instructions are given to R1. After a few seconds the device responds - or executes, and this is important - what you have asked for. Amazing, but not enough. Let's get into it and talk about how it works.
The Rabbit R1 is powered by what Jesse calls LAM, acronym for Large Action Model and the evolution of what we knew until now as LLM —Large Language Mode— like the ones we find in the well-known ChatGPT and similar. This LAM differs from the LLM in that it is capable of executing actions beyond giving an answer to what is asked.
What does this allow? Well, essentially what is seen in the presentation, is that I do not need any application, since the device is connected to the different accounts that we authorize, and it can act for us by simply speaking to it and demanding it. Throughout the Keynote:
- You can request a Uber just by asking. In fact, in the demo it is able to interpret that you are asking for it for 6 people and based on that, XL searches for it within the Uber app.
- It shows you a picture of a Fridge, asks him what he can cook with what he sees and R1 "prepares" him a dish with the image that comes to him.
- He shows him an image of a record and by asking the bunny he starts playing it on Spotify, in addition to giving you some additional information…
And so much more…
And the Hardware?
Well, as I commented in forums responding to all those who say "that screen is very small" He doesn't need anything more than what he has. The device is simple. Because? Because he wants you to talk to him and talk to you. You don't need a good camera because the one you have is used for seeing, not for taking photos or videos.. You don't need a good screen because you want to talk.
It is simple because its function is to be so. They did not want to add more because as a concept it does not need it. He wants to see, hear, speak and show. For everything else we have cell phones and computers worth thousands of euros.
He wants to be a companion, not a substitute. It works better as an ally than what you already have.
That's why it has the hardware it has. It barely has a button and a scroll wheel in addition to the camera and screen. Basic works better than complex. It is its strong point. I leave you a list of the hardware specifications taken directly from their website.
What is the strength of the Rabbit R1?
For me, there are two key points about this device that I think will either make it a success or end up forgotten (although I highly doubt the latter): its simplicity and its ability to learn. We have already talked about simplicity. Let's move on to its ability to learn.
In one of the parts of the show, Jesse briefly shows a kind of website/application? with which you will be able to "educate" your Rabbit R1 so that it learns what you want. Likewise, it has a section to connect different services, including Spotify, Uber or Amazon.
Honestly, this is where I see the most potential. I think the Rabbit R1 can be a great teaching tool. and use it for everyday tasks without having to take out your phone and simply ask the bunny to answer a question, ask for food or advise us on cooking.
And the trust?
Can you imagine giving them access to shop for you on Amazon? And let it decide what you order from UBER Eats? Or better yet, would you let him organize a romantic weekend for you, giving him the ability to choose a hotel, restaurants and shows in addition to paying for everything for you?
I think this will be the biggest leap to take into account. The trust. We are going to have to make an effort to ensure that he knows us perfectly well, helps us choose and gives him the authority to make the determination to act for us. Will we be prepared?
