Brave, a prominent web browser, made headlines on Wednesday with its announcement of Leo, an AI assistant, now available to iPhone and iPad users. Leo's introduction to iOS devices marks a significant expansion of its accessibility, following its initial release on Android and desktop platforms. This move underscores Brave's commitment to providing innovative solutions and enhancing user experience across various devices.
Leo serves as a multifaceted AI assistant, empowering users with a wide range of capabilities, including asking questions, summarizing content, and creating various types of content. Notably, the iOS rollout of Leo introduces voice-to-text functionality, a feature absent in its Android counterpart. This innovative addition allows users to verbally express queries and commands, eliminating the need for manual typing. Brave emphasizes that this enhancement streamlines interaction with the AI, making it more intuitive and user-friendly.
Beyond voice-to-text functionality, Leo offers a plethora of features designed to simplify tasks and enhance productivity. Users can leverage Leo to summarize pages or videos, answer questions about content, generate long-form written reports, translate or rewrite text, create transcriptions of audio or video content, and even write code. This comprehensive suite of capabilities positions Leo as a versatile tool for various tasks, catering to the diverse needs of users.
One of the primary objectives behind Leo's development is to reduce users' reliance on external services such as ChatGPT or similar AI-based platforms. By providing a built-in AI assistant directly within the Brave browser, the company aims to offer users a seamless and integrated experience while ensuring their privacy and security. This strategic move aligns with Brave's overarching mission to revolutionize the browsing experience and empower users with cutting-edge technologies.
Leo grants users access to advanced language models, including Mixtral 8x7B, Anthropic’s Claude Instant, and Meta’s Llama 2 13B. While Mixtral 8x7B serves as the default language model for Leo, users have the flexibility to choose alternative models or upgrade to Leo Premium for enhanced features. This tiered offering provides users with greater customization and control over their AI experience, catering to individual preferences and requirements.
It's worth noting that Brave isn't the only browser company to venture into the realm of AI assistants. Opera, a notable player in the browser market, introduced its AI assistant called Aria last year. Developed in collaboration with OpenAI, Aria boasts a chatbot-like interface that enables users to ask questions and receive instant responses, similar to Leo's functionality.
For iOS users eager to explore Leo's capabilities, the AI assistant is now accessible to all users who have updated to version 1.63 of the Brave browser. Activating Leo is a simple process; users can initiate it by opening the browser, typing in the address bar, and selecting "Ask Leo." Additionally, users have the option to opt-in or disable Leo via the app's settings, providing flexibility and control over their AI experience.
In summary, Brave's introduction of Leo to iOS devices represents a significant milestone in the evolution of AI-powered browsing experiences. With its diverse range of features and user-friendly interface, Leo stands poised to revolutionize how users interact with their browsers and access information, reaffirming Brave's position as a pioneer in the browser industry.
