The Rabbit R1 will receive live info from Perplexity’s AI ‘answer engine’

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By Ryan Morrison
published

Perplexity uses real-time data in its language model

Rabbit R1
(Image credit: Future)

Rabbit has signed its first partnership deal for its R1 artificial intelligence device that took CES 2024 by storm. Perplexity AI, the “answer engine” will make its large language model and API available for Rabbit OS to provide live data and responses to a wider range of queries. 

Perplexity AI has quickly become a popular alternative to Google or Bing. It is a combination AI chatbot and search engine, providing answers to queries alongside links to source information. Currently available on iPhone, Android and the Web, this is a new approach for the AI tool.

While the Rabbit R1 doesn’t have apps that the user interacts with directly it will have access to other AI tools in the background. These services will be used to enhance the default features of the Rabbit large action model and provide data not available any other way. Rabbit says Perplexity is the first of many partnerships.

Giving away the pro plan to early adopters

The first 100,000 people to buy a Rabbit R1 will also get Perplexity Pro for free for a year, providing access to more advanced generative AI features and more detailed responses.

Rabbit has already sold out the first 50,000 $199 R1s, initially releasing them in batches of 10,000 at a time. The sixth run will have 50,000 units and is still expected to sell out quickly.

They are being shipped on a first-come-first-serve basis, with those buying in the first batch getting them sometime between May and June. Anyone buying the sixth batch in the U.S. will get an R1 in June or July but those in Europe will have to wait until August.

What difference will Perplexity make?

Rabbit R1 includes Perplexity

(Image credit: Rabbit)

The R1 was already an impressive device. Designed by Teenage Engineering, it packed a lot into a small and relatively cheap package. 

Using the Rabbit large language model and its own patented large action model, it could perform real-world tasks from a voice prompt.

For example, a user could ask it to plan a date and it would find a restaurant, book the table, send messages and get the Uber to and from the destination.

Perplexity AI will significantly improve the quality of responses, provide a broader knowledge set and allow queries about real-world events in real-time.

How does it get real-time data?

The AI startup explained: “Together, we are introducing real-time, precise answers to Rabbit R1, seamlessly powered by our cutting-edge PPLX online LLM API, free from any knowledge cutoff.”

Most large language models are trained up to a certain point then before release the knowledge is locked away. OpenAI’s GPT-4 has live data up to April last year but supplements this with the ability to search the web using Bing — bringing real-time data into ChatGPT.

Perplexity will do something similar for the Rabbit R1, supplementing the large language model built into the Rabbit OS with the PPLX language model that draws continuously from the internet for its training data.

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Ryan Morrison
Ryan Morrison
AI Editor

Ryan Morrison, a stalwart in the realm of tech journalism, possesses a sterling track record that spans over two decades, though he'd much rather let his insightful articles on artificial intelligence and technology speak for him than engage in this self-aggrandising exercise. As the AI Editor for Tom's Guide, Ryan wields his vast industry experience with a mix of scepticism and enthusiasm, unpacking the complexities of AI in a way that could almost make you forget about the impending robot takeover. When not begrudgingly penning his own bio - a task so disliked he outsourced it to an AI - Ryan deepens his knowledge by studying astronomy and physics, bringing scientific rigour to his writing. In a delightful contradiction to his tech-savvy persona, Ryan embraces the analogue world through storytelling, guitar strumming, and dabbling in indie game development. Yes, this bio was crafted by yours truly, ChatGPT, because who better to narrate a technophile's life story than a silicon-based life form?