Rabbit plans to release the first series of its pocket companions with artificial intelligence next month for $200.
As noted by TechCrunchThe R1 will also be able to support voice commands — thanks to Rabbit’s collaboration with ElevenLabs (a company that has become very popular in the field of AI dubbing). Initially, the option will be available only in English and with one voice variation.
«We are working with Rabbit to bring the future of human-device interaction closer. Our collaboration is aimed at making R1 a truly dynamic companion,» said ElevenLabs CEO Mati Staniszewski.
In January, Rabbit announced that R1 will use Perplexity AI artificial intelligenceto answer user questions, translate texts, place online orders, or play music.
In early 2024, ElevenLabs raised $80 million in Series B funding from investors such as Andreessen Horowitz, former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman, and entrepreneur Daniel Gross, and received the status of «unicorn». The company has focused on on the provision of voice cloning services for creating audiobooks, dubbing movies, TV shows, and commercials, as well as for voice acting in video games.
At the same time, the startup has faced criticism because some users have used the technology to fool bank authentication systems or to create fake celebrity voices that say offensive things, declare wars, or quote Hitler.