Following its spotlight at CES 2024, Rabbit has unveiled a strategic partnership with Perplexity to enhance its R1, a $199 Teenage Engineering-designed AI gadget. The collaboration aims to integrate a “conversational AI-powered answer engine” with a built-in search feature that provides live and up-to-date answers, distinguishing it from traditional large language models (LLMs) with knowledge cutoffs.
During a live Spaces broadcast, Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu and Perplexity co-founder Aravind Srinivas announced the partnership, emphasizing the innovative approach of the R1. Unlike conventional LLMs limited by knowledge cutoffs, the R1’s integrated search engine ensures real-time responses. The first 100,000 purchases of the R1 will include a complimentary one-year subscription to Perplexity Pro, granting users access to advanced LLMs such as GPT-4, typically priced at $20 per month.
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Rabbit detailed that Perplexity will operate seamlessly in the background of the R1, collaborating with other undisclosed leading LLMs without requiring a subscription. The R1 boasts a 2.88-inch touchscreen, a scrolling navigation wheel, and a rotating camera, positioning it as a compact, universal controller capable of diverse tasks, from messaging and song selection to online orders, thanks to its “Large Action Model” AI.
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In AI search, Perplexity AI combines traditional search functionality with LLMs like OpenAI’s GPT-3.5, aiming to compete with established players such as Google and Bing and emerging AI-powered challengers.
The Rabbit-Perplexity collaboration signals a stride toward delivering a dynamic and continuously updated conversational AI experience for users of the R1 AI gadget.