What you need to know
- Brave recently unveiled an AI-powered chatbot dubbed Leo.
- The chatbot had been in preview for several months, but it's now generally available for all desktop users running version 1.60 of the web browser.
- According to Brave, Leo will not leverage the user's data to train its AI models.
- No login information or account is required to use the chatbot.
- It also comes with a premium option, which will cost you $15 per month.
- Leo is expected to ship to Android and iOS in the coming months.
Brave, well-known for its privacy and security focused products, is hopping onto the AI conveyor belt with an AI-powered chatbot dubbed Leo, which is shipping to all desktop users running version 1.60 of the web browser for free. There's a possibility that you might not access it immediately, as it's rolling out in waves for the next few days.
As you'd expect, Leo is quite similar to other chatbots like ChatGPT, Bing Chat, and Google Bard, but Brave says it stands out from the "crowd" in one unique way. Leo doesn't record or use your data to train AI models — a major concern among most users. What's more, no login information is required to leverage the chatbot's capabilities. This means that Brave's privacy features cut across the board.
Still, the chatbot will let you generate summaries of webpages and new content, provide answers to questions, and more.
What is Leo and how does it work?
Leo leverages Meta's open-source Large Language Model (LLM), Llama 2, and can be accessed from Brave's sidebar or via prompts on the address bar.
As highlighted above, it sports the same capabilities you'd find while using Bing Chat or ChatGPT, including translation of text, generation of text, and more.
Is Leo free?
All desktop users running version 1.60 of the web browser will have access to the AI assistant. However, there's another iteration of the chatbot dubbed Leo Premium with a $15 per month subscription.
Brave users with a Leo Premium subscription will get early access to upcoming features, and high-quality interactions with the chatbot thanks to Claude Instant (Anthropic’s AI assistant with enhanced multilingual, math, and logic capabilities), and higher rate limits.
Is Leo coming to mobile
While Leo is currently exclusive to desktop users, it is expected to ship to Android and iOS in the coming months.
Will Brave's Leo address safety and privacy concerns among users?
Brave prides itself on keeping its users' data private. This cuts across the board to Leo. This means that users can leverage the chatbot to enhance their browsing experience without having to worry about their data being picked up and used to train AI models.
Do you think Brave's AI chatbot will provide users with the privacy safety net they need? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
