This New AI Device Only Looks Cool

Over a week ago pre-orders began for the Rabbit R1, an AI enabled device that's about the size of a small phone. Fortunately for the young tech company, they sold more than $10 million preorders, showing that there is strong interest among the public for a dedicated AI device. However, while the Rabbit R1 looks visually appealing, has had a bunch of preorders, and is priced competitively at $199, I'm afraid that the Rabbit R1 will not catch on, or at least will quickly become obsolete.

What does the Rabbit R1 do?

The R1 seems to basically do nearly anything your phone can do, except instead of using a touchscreen, you use your voice to control the operating system. The operating system, Rabbit OS, uses artificial intelligence (AI) but instead of using a large language model like ChatGPT, it uses a Large Action Model (LAM). This large action model controls apps on the R1 and is really what makes the R1 into an incredibly smart version of Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

According to Rabbit, Rabbit OS can control your music, order you an Uber, buy your groceries, send your messages, and more. You don't have to jump around between apps or remember logins. You just speak to the R1 and ask for what you want and the device is supposed to do exactly what you asked for, by way of accessing apps through its LAM.

The device's LAM was trained by humans to control apps such as Spotify and Uber. This is in contrast to using an API, something that is commonly used today but can have limitations. Users of the R1 can also train the device's LAM themself. This will allow users to use a wide variety of apps and services with the device without having to wait for support from developers. The device also features a small screen that enables users to verify the R1's actions.

The Design

While the R1 has some unique features, it also looks interesting. The Verge described it as looking like a Playdate console or a modernized version of a ’90s-era handheld TV. Just by looking at the device, someone can easily tell that a lot of thought went into designing the product. In fact, the CEO of Rabbit Jesse Lyu has studied the design of several products. The design of the R1 clearly shows off Lyu's and the rest of Rabbit team's knowledge of design.

Is this the future?

Honestly, the Rabbit R1 is a good concept for a dedicated AI device, but the problem is the R1 does not go as far as replacing a phone, at least not at launch. The R1 is being targeted as a device that can keep people focused and make users more efficient, but these same users will still have to use a smartphone, the device that Rabbit's CEO says distracts people. Rabbit should take the R1 a step further and make it possible to use as a replacement for your phone, but maybe if an R2 is released it will be a complete phone replacement.

As the device stands now, it may catch on somewhat in the short-term but it could easily be replaced by a company developing an app that does the same thing as the R1. It could even be replaced by Apple, Google, or Amazon adding functionality that's similar to the R1 to their voice assistants. One of these companies would only need to develop their own LAM. Then people would no longer need to carry two devices, an R1 and a phone, instead they can just use the app on their phone. For this reason, it seems like the R1 could quickly become obsolete. To remain relevant the R1 really needs to completely replace the phone.