| Rabbit r1 | |
| Developer: | Rabbit Inc. |
| Manufacturer: | Teenage Engineering |
| Type: | AI personal assistant device |
| Os: | Rabbit OS, based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP)[1] |
The Rabbit r1 is a GPT-3.5-based, Android-powered[2] personal assistant device developed by tech startup Rabbit Inc, and designed by Teenage Engineering.[3] [4] It is designed to perform various functions, including web searches and media control, using voice commands and touch interaction, that allows AI to be used to provide services commonly associated with smartphones and smart home devices; for example, ordering food delivery.[5] [6]
Rabbit Inc was started by Jesse Lyu Cheng, a Xi'an native.[7] [8]
The device was met with harsh criticism. Critics questioned its usefulness compared to a smartphone.
The Rabbit r1 runs on Rabbit OS, based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), specifically version 13.[13] Lyu has claimed that Rabbit OS runs with a "very bespoke AOSP",[14] but this was disputed by Android Authority, after reverse engineering the device.[15] [16] [17] Android writer Mishaal Rahman found that the modifications from the original Android source code were so minimal, the Rabbit OS app could be loaded onto an Android smartphone.
The device employs a large action model (LAM), a type of large language model[18] designed to perform actions and assist with tasks like web searches, streaming music, and transportation services. Perplexity.ai, an AI search engine, is used to respond to user queries and execute commands. The personal assistant is also capable of various actions such as ordering a cab or playing music from Spotify - much like the average smartphone. This is through the "connections" system on the account management site, which the assistant calls "rabbits" (e.g. "the DoorDash rabbit is under maintenance.")
Following its announcement at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show, over 20,000 units of the device were sold in pre-orders.[19]
The r1 was met with strong criticism. Most reviews questioned what the device was able to do that a smartphone could not, while comparing it to the similar Humane Ai Pin. YouTuber Marques Brownlee called the device "barely reviewable".[20] Android Authoritys Mishaal Rahman managed to install Rabbit r1's software on a Pixel 6a smartphone, after a tipster shared an APK file, concluding the r1's entire system is a single Android app running on a modified version of Android.[21] The Verge echoed the claims made by Rahman and compared the device to a Juicero.[22] In response, Lyu published statements confirming its use of Android, but denying that the r1 is an Android app. Mashable called its Vision features impressive, but "these praise-worthy features are overshadowed by buggy performance".[23] Ars Technica wrote a blog post claiming "the company is blocking access from bootleg APKs".[1] TechCrunch gave a slightly more positive review calling the device a "fun peep at a possible future", but could not "advise anyone to buy one now."[24]
Rabbit Inc has garnered attention due to allegations surrounding its funding and the company's past projects. The company came under scrutiny when Stephen Findeisen, known as Coffeezilla on YouTube, published a video in May 2024, alleging that Rabbit Incorporation was "built on a scam". Rabbit Incorporation, initially named Cyber Manufacturing Co, rebranded just two months before launching the Rabbit R1. The company, under its former name, raised $6 million in November 2021 for a project called GAMA, described as a "Next Generation NFT Project." Jesse Lyu, the CEO of Rabbit Incorporation, referred to GAMA as a "fun little project."
Coffeezilla, who investigates influencer scams, highlighted old Clubhouse recordings of Jesse Lyu discussing the GAMA project. In these recordings, Lyu emphasized the substantial funding behind GAMA and its potential to be a revolutionary, carbon-negative cryptocurrency. Coffeezilla questioned the whereabouts of the funds raised for GAMA, estimating that approximately $1 million in refunds to investors remained unresolved. He suggested that the rebranding to Rabbit Incorporation and the shift to developing the Rabbit R1 were attempts to divert from the GAMA project's issues.
In response to Coffeezilla's inquiries, Rabbit Incorporation stated that the $6 million raised was indeed used for the GAMA project. The company said that NFTs cannot be refunded unless the owner agrees to "burn" them on the blockchain. Rabbit Incorporation also said that the GAMA project was open-sourced and returned to the community, aligning with community feedback. They also mentioned that efforts to buy back NFTs were made to counteract malicious trading and maintain market stability.[25]
In June 2024, Engadget reported that the Rabbitude team, a community reverse engineering project, had gained access to the r1's codebase revealing that r1's software contained several hardcoded API keys in its code for ElevenLabs, Microsoft Azure, Yelp, and Google Maps,[26] allowing anybody to read every single response the r1 had ever given, including those containing the users' personal information.[27] Users reported that Rabbit revoked the keys, rendering the devices useless, at least for the time being.Web site: Rabbit put the R1’s secret keys on the device and now your data has leaked. PivotToAI. 26 June 2024. 26 June 2024.
In July 2024, the company revealed that all user chats and device pairing data were logged on the r1 with no ability to delete them. This meant that lost or stolen devices could be used to extract user data. The company stated that it addressed the issue by introducing a factory reset option and limited the data stored on the r1, as well as preventing paired devices from reading data.[28]