The new Rabbit r1 AI gadget almost roped me in – here’s why I’m not buying one

It's CES 2024 week in Las Vegas, otherwise known as AI week. Artificial intelligence is built into lots and lots of products, even ones that might not necessarily need it. But we also have brand new hardware that revolves specifically around AI like ChatGPT. One example is the new r1 from an AI startup called Rabbit. The gadget looks like a cute, playful "not-a-phone" device. It's a different take on the post-smartphone concept that Humane is trying with the Ai Pin. 

Unlike devices that can run ChatGPT to answer questions of all sorts, Ai Pin included, the Rabbit r1 is capable of actually doing things on your behalf, in mobile apps. That was exciting enough to make me consider purchasing this AI-first device.

The r1 sounds amazing until you start questioning its features. Rabbit's r1 also feels like a better proposition than the Ai Pin, the $699 (without mandatory subscription) device that Humane hasn't shipped yet. It's not that the r1 will fare any better. It costs just $199, which seems too cheap for the kind of features it wants to offer. But the price isn't the (only) problem. 

I think the Rabbit r1, the Humane Ai Pin, and similar devices that might be in the making are starting to scratch the surface of personal AI experiences that will be available directly on smartphones. While these startups try to kill the smartphone, vendors like Apple, Google, and Samsung will surely build features like what the r1 and Ai Pin offer directly into iPhones and Android handsets. With that in mind, why would anyone need a separate, dedicated AI gadget?

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The new Rabbit r1 AI gadget almost roped me in – here’s why I’m not buying one originally appeared on BGR.com on Wed, 10 Jan 2024 at 10:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.