Rabbit Inc, a startup led by Chinese entrepreneur Jesse Lyu Cheng, has introduced a handheld gadget named Rabbit R1 powered by artificial intelligence (AI). The device has quickly gained popularity, with five batches of pre-orders selling out since its launch in Las Vegas during CES 2024. Despite not having much presence at CES, Rabbit R1 has caught the attention of consumers and tech media as a unique way to interact with AI beyond smartphones and computers.
R1’s Growing Popularity and Pre-Orders
The Santa Monica-based company, Rabbit Inc, announced the commencement of pre-orders for a sixth batch of 50,000 Rabbit R1 devices, following the quick sell-out of its latest batch of 10,000 devices. This surge in demand highlights the growing interest in AI-powered devices like the R1.
Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, which brought large language models (LLMs) and generative AI into the limelight, startups and tech giants worldwide have been exploring the next generation of AI-powered devices. Companies like Xiaomi, Huawei, Dell, Lenovo, and HP are all focusing on AI-powered smart gadgets in 2024.
Jesse Lyu, the CEO of Rabbit, envisions bringing a dedicated AI-powered device to billions of consumers. He believes that while recent advancements in large language models have improved machine understanding of human language, digital assistants still struggle to execute tasks efficiently.
The Rabbit R1 aims to address this gap by triggering actions on behalf of users across various environments, including iOS, Android, and desktop.
R1’s Unique Design and Features
Collaborating with design firm Teenage Engineering, Rabbit R1 sports a vintage look reminiscent of a 1990s handheld video game console. The luminous orange-colored gadget features a pressable scroll wheel for accessing built-in functions, including voice controls.
It also incorporates a rotating camera for capturing photos and videos, positioned above a 2.88-inch touch screen. The device’s compact size and weight of just 115 grams make it easily pocketable.
Technical Specifications
The stand-alone Rabbit R1 runs on a 2.3GHz MediaTek processor and boasts 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Notably, the R1’s unique selling point lies in its operating system, based on what Rabbit Inc refers to as a “large action model.”
This proprietary foundation model is designed in-house to learn user intentions and behavior. By observing how users interact with apps like food delivery or ride-hailing, the R1 can replicate those actions on command.
The R1 launch video, posted on YouTube on January 9, has garnered substantial attention with over 4.8 million views and 56,000 likes. This positive response reflects the growing interest in innovative AI-powered devices like Rabbit R1.
Launch and pricing
Media reports suggest that the initial shipment of Rabbit R1s is scheduled for March, with subsequent deliveries expected to continue in phases until June or July of this year. As for the cost, it was unveiled at CES 2024 with a price point of US$199.15, indicating that the final pricing could be in a similar range.
About Jesse Lyu
Jesse Lyu’s journey in the tech industry has been marked by success. He studied financial mathematics at Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University in Suzhou and the University of Liverpool in the UK. During his final year at the University of the Arts London, he founded Timeet, a social media service that matched users based on their schedules. Lyu has been recognized on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Entrepreneurs list twice.
Before Rabbit Inc, Lyu founded Raven Tech in 2014, a smart home AI device maker. Baidu, a Chinese AI and search engine giant, acquired Raven Tech in February 2017 for a reported $90 million. Raven Tech, like Rabbit, attracted significant venture capital funding and was the only Chinese company funded by California-based Y Combinator.
Despite his success, Lyu’s tenure with Baidu was short-lived, leaving in July 2018. He joined the board of Teenage Engineering in May 2020 and founded Rabbit Inc four months later, marking another chapter in his entrepreneurial journey.
Rabbit R1: How will it impact the AI sector and growing criticism
Rabbit R1’s success in the market signals a growing appetite for AI-powered devices that go beyond conventional smartphones and computers. With its unique design, features, and focus on learning user behavior, the R1 is poised to contribute to the evolving landscape of human-machine interaction. Jesse Lyu’s vision for bringing dedicated AI-powered devices to a global audience is evidently gaining momentum through the success of Rabbit R1.
Simultaneously, there is an escalating critique among numerous internet users that the term ‘AI’ has become such a significant trend that even non-AI products are being marketed with an AI label. A multitude of YouTube users responded to a CNET video about Rabbit R1, asserting that it isn’t truly AI, but rather a physical version of a voice-activated search application akin to Alexa or Google Assistant.
