Rabbit Teams Up with ElevenLabs for Voice-Powered Device Commands

Rabbit Partners with ElevenLabs to Bring Voice ⁣Commands to r1 Devices

Rabbit, a hardware company, has⁢ partnered with ElevenLabs to integrate voice command capabilities into its r1 devices.‌ The first batch of these devices is scheduled for shipment next​ month, ⁤following ⁢significant attention⁣ at CES earlier this year.

ElevenLabs’ Technology Enhances User Experience

The r1 devices⁣ will feature ElevenLabs’ technology, enabling users to interact with the device using ​voice commands ⁤and receive responses in a natural, human-like manner. Initially, the feature will support English with a single voice option. ElevenLabs’ low latency models will contribute to more seamless and intuitive ⁤interactions between users and ​the r1.

“We’re working ⁢with rabbit to bring the future of human-device interaction closer. Our ‍collaboration is ⁣about making the r1 a truly dynamic co-pilot, ” ElevenLabs’ CEO Mati Staniszewski ‌said in a prepared statement.

Perplexity AI and Additional Features

In January, Rabbit announced that it would utilize Perplexity AI‘s solutions⁤ to⁢ provide answers to user queries directly on the device. The first batch​ of $199 r1s will be shipped by March 31, reaching users within⁣ a few weeks. Out of the box, users will be able to interact with chatbots, get answers from Perplexity, use bi-directional translation, ‌order rides and ‌food, ‍and play music through the device.

Rabbit’s Growth and Demand

Rabbit’s CEO, Jesse Lyu, recently stated at a StrictlyVC event ⁣that the company is close to receiving 100,000 device orders, highlighting ‌the⁤ growing demand for their products.

ElevenLabs’ Funding and Expansion

Earlier this year, ElevenLabs secured $80 million in a⁤ Series B funding round led by ⁤ Andreessen Horowitz, with participation ⁢from former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and entrepreneur Daniel Gross. This funding elevated the company⁣ to unicorn status.⁤ ElevenLabs has been focusing on providing voice cloning services for various applications, ⁤including‍ audiobooks, movie and TV show dubbing, ‌advertisements, and video game characters.

Partnerships and Controversies

Recently, PocketFM, an Indian audio platform that raised $103 million from Lightspeed, announced its ​use of‌ ElevenLabs’ services to enable creators to convert their written works into audio series. However, ElevenLabs has also faced criticism due to users attempting to exploit⁢ its technology, such as fooling bank authentication systems, mimicking celebrities, and generating problematic content. In response, the startup has developed a tool to ⁣detect speech created by its platform and is ‍working on a solution to detect and ‌distribute synthesized audio to third parties.