Pressing Buttons
Nothing written is financial or even general life advice. These essays are for entertainment purposes only --- Godspeed.
Rabbit Inc’s R1
Rabbit Inc has released an ai agent designed by the illustrious Teenage Engineering.
Here’s the keynote video:
https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmcEHa2a7js76uGstKkGMZzDwjfhQAuQsTnBosLuoE42mr?filename=R1-keynote.mp4
Opinions are properly divided, proving that we have something of interest. From “it looks really nice but I don’t see why this isn’t an app” to “TAKE MY MONEY!!”
It was brought to my attention yesterday. Immediately after watching the keynote I purchased one. And now I’m writing about it (feeling like a try hard bag threadooor).
But whether or not people enjoy this particular iteration of ai agents is not the concern of this essay. It’s how the future of this tech may enable independent internauts.
The Age
Within crypto and other tech-dominant circles, artificial intelligent is common. Open AI’s board drama was a typical afternoon of live commentary on ct.
Using chat gpt, midjourney, or stable diffusion are already part of our workflows. Yet, when venturing into normie circles most of my friends haven’t heard of midjourney. At most they know what chat gpt is but have never touched it.
We seem to be at a rare moment in human innovation. One where two life-changing technologies exist, are accessible, and will continue to develop simultaneously. My intuition says that artificial intelligence will be the headliner though.
Until now it has been:
stone age
bronze age
iron age
middle ages
renaissance
industrial
age of electricity
atomic
space
information
People more in the know than me seem quite confident that cryptocurrency will be the medium of exchange for ai agents as well. If true, it seems likelier that we are entering the ai age than say the crypto age.
Creativity Ergonomics
Being a creator has changed dramatically when comparing web1 to web2 tech. The Youtuber, streamer, Substack writer, IG model; these are new sectors of industry enabled by tech progression.
While I’m not sure if ai is classified as web3, the tech again progresses. (you can vote here within 24 hrs)
https://x.com/0xlght/status/1745139153786880025?s=20
A mental model I’m currently thinking through here is ergonomics.
the application of psychological and physiological principles to the engineering and design of products, processes, and systems. Primary goals [being engineering to] reduce human error, increase productivity, and system availability..
For independent creators, internet-tech is the yang to creativity’s yin.
Mr. Beast does not materialize without YouTube. Zora does not happen without Ethereum. If we channel this line of thinking toward ai agents, a new world awaits.
Reducing Lag
Firstly, here’s some of the uses I have planned for the device:
vision → recipe improvement
- currently I type all the ingredients I have into chat gpt and ask for new ideas
writing assistant → reduced tabs/phone distraction
- definitions, quick double-check search, etc when writing so I can stop getting as distracted by socials when in flow
voice → reduced memory lapse in ordering lifestyle products
amazon integration is the main area of interest here (not sure if compatible)
reminders would also be of interest
The first two alone would be significant value add to my ergonomics. As I enjoy working within the ‘creators are athletes’ meme, it’s the small percentage points I’m looking to improve on.
Extend this model to app integrations, conglomerate backing (think Apple, MSFT, etc), or other niche hardware specs and we continue to reduce lag.
Speculation
The R1 is a one-time payment of $199. A pleasant twist to the perpetually subscribed market we find ourselves in. It does make me believe its ‘day in the sun’ is limited however.
The conversation has gotten more interesting thanks to it. Some questions I want to explore are:
what is the value-mean of reducing idea → action lag with ai agents?
what will train your own model products use as payment model & medium?
will personal data become tokenized and transferrable in the ai age?
what, if any, new sectors are on the horizon similar to YT, IG, Substack, etc?
what are the 2-3 most ideal form factors of these ai agents?