| November 22, 2024
When Rabbit’s R1 was first launched earlier this year, it faced a rocky debut. Many of the features, including the flagship “large action model” (LAM), were either absent or malfunctioning, with some critics labeling the device as more of a novelty than a practical tool. However, after over 20 software updates since its release, Rabbit has unveiled a significant new feature: Teach Mode, which is now available to all R1 users in beta.
Teach Mode allows users to train the R1 to automate tasks on websites, providing a more hands-on, customizable experience. Rabbit CEO and founder Jesse Lyu demonstrated the feature in advance of the announcement, showcasing how the tool works through the company’s Rabbithole hub. The interface is designed to be intuitive, letting users teach the R1 by performing tasks directly on websites. Teach Mode records these interactions and translates them into automation scripts for the R1 to replicate later.
Once the task is completed, users can review the automation, ensuring it functions correctly before activating it on the R1. Although Teach Mode does not require coding knowledge, users with programming experience can annotate steps, which helps refine automations and troubleshoot potential issues.
Lyu’s demonstration included teaching the R1 to tweet on his behalf. The device, while still in its early stages, demonstrated the ability to perform a series of actions step by step. According to Lyu, the R1’s verbal feedback on each task step is a feature designed to enhance user understanding during the automation process.
Despite its potential, Teach Mode does not necessarily offer faster or more efficient solutions compared to existing applications. However, Rabbit envisions its real strength in handling multi-platform interactions, such as automating tasks that span across several websites or applications. For example, users can teach their R1 to photograph shopping lists and place grocery orders from multiple stores, integrating them into one cohesive process.
Future Vision for Teach Mode
Rabbit is also positioning Teach Mode as a solution to the complex world of smart home automation. As smart devices continue to struggle with competing standards, Teach Mode could allow the R1 to navigate systems like HomeKit and Google Home seamlessly, bypassing the limitations that currently exist in the ecosystem.
Looking ahead, Lyu has ambitious plans for the R1. In the near future, users will be able to upload and sell their automations on a dedicated platform, with Rabbit taking a commission on each transaction. Lyu also hints that Teach Mode will eventually extend beyond websites, with support for more complex applications like Excel, further expanding the R1’s capabilities. This would be a major step towards achieving Rabbit’s long-term goal: creating an artificial general intelligence (AGI) that could understand and interact with any software ever created.
However, challenges remain. One major question is whether users will be willing to pay for automations created by the community when they can replicate these tasks on their own. Rabbit expects the model to follow a similar trajectory to current app stores, where most people download pre-made solutions instead of creating their own.
There are also concerns over the possibility that certain platforms could block R1’s Teach Mode, especially as bot detection systems like CAPTCHA evolve. Rabbit believes that since users are interacting with their own accounts and using their credentials, the platform does not conflict with the interests of third-party services. However, this remains an open question.
Despite these uncertainties, Rabbit’s Teach Mode marks a significant step forward for the company and its R1 device. While it may take some time for the tool to reach its full potential, the rollout brings the startup closer to the vision Lyu presented earlier this year — a future where the R1 serves as a versatile and highly capable personal assistant.
As Rabbit continues to refine its AI model, the hope is that users will embrace Teach Mode and help accelerate its development, bringing Rabbit closer to its end goal of delivering true artificial general intelligence.
