Brave Software Launches AI Assistant Leo for Android
Brave Software, the developer behind the Brave browser, has introduced an Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistant called Leo. The tool is included in version 1.63 of the web explorer for Android, and is capable of carrying out a broad range of tasks, from summarising web page and video content to providing answers to questions, translations, programming, transcription services and even writing text.
Advanced User Experience and Privacy
Integration of AI tools in mobile devices is revolutionising user experience by providing convenience and efficiency when interacting with information. However, these advancements have raised concerns regarding user data privacy, as AI tools often operate in the background tracking user interactions with content and services. Brave’s response to these concerns is the distinctive approach of Leo, which comes with strict protective measures ensuring privacy.
Privacy-first Features
Free version of Leo does not require sign-in to Brave account, eliminating the risk of user profiling or identity disclosure. Conversations with the assistant are neither logged nor used to train AI models. All user requests pass through an anonymising server, separating identifiers and requests. Responses generated by Leo are removed from Brave servers immediately after creation, while those created using Anthropic’s AI models are deleted after 30 days. Brave does not collect or store user IP addresses or other identifiers.
AI Quality and Performance
In addition to ensuring privacy, Brave asserts the superiority of Leo in providing high-quality and relevant results with fewer mistakes, thanks to the usage of various large language AI models (LLM) such as Mixtral 8x7B, Claude Instant and Llama 2 13B. Mixtral is set as the default model due to its multilingual capabilities and higher performance.
Pricing and Availability
Leo comes in two versions: free and premium priced at $15 per month, which allows the assistant to be used on five different devices with enhanced usage limits. Premium subscribers are also rewarded with anonymous tokens that confirm their account status without linking to payment details.
Leo’s integration into the Brave browser for Android is being implemented in stages, meaning the assistant may not be available immediately after updating to the latest version. However, the company assures that it will be rolled out to all Android users within a few days. The launch of Leo in the browser for iOS is anticipated in the coming weeks, expected to provide Apple users with the same functionalities and privacy level.
