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Tech reviewer and YouTuber Marques Brownlee has described Rabbit R1 as ‘barely reviewable’ in his latest video review.
As one of the largest tech reviewers in the world, with a following of 18 million subscribers on YouTube and over six million on X, Marques Brownlee’s word in the tech world carries a lot of weight. Just a few weeks ago on April 14, Brownlee sparked controversy by labelling the Humane AI pin as ‘the worst product I’ve ever reviewed…for now’.
While quite an extreme title, the content of Brownlee’s review appeared fairly balanced and fair, echoing sentiments from other reviews from major tech publications. However, it sparked pushback from some within the tech community, with some arguing that a reviewer with so much power to influence opinions should be aware of the possibility of sending companies bankrupt.
MKBHD bankrupted a company in 41 seconds
A slight criticism from a big Youtuber, let alone calling the product HORRENDOUS, is enough to make a company go bust
Creators are so much more powerful in 2024 than you think
This clip will be the gravestone for Humane pic.twitter.com/UbVtEHbN1g
— Alex Finn (@AlexFinnX) April 15, 2024
“A slight criticism from a big Youtuber, let alone calling the product HORRENDOUS, is enough to make a company go bust,” wrote tech commentator Alex Finn on X. “Creators are so much more powerful in 2024 than you think.”
Marques Brownlee’s review of the Rabbit R1
Now, it seems Brownlee may be courting controversy once again with his latest review, labelling the Rabbit R1 as ‘barely reviewable’. Another AI product to get a negative review within the space of a month, Brownlee blames lack of user data for the Rabbit R1’s failing, although acknowledging that it’s a ‘cool idea’.
“This is the pinnacle of a trend that’s been annoying for years: Delivering barely finished products to win a “race” and then continuing to build them after charging full price,” he wrote in the introduction to his review on X.
While some might think that negative reviews of newcomer products might be unfair, Rabbit CEO and founder Jesse Lyu accepts and even echoes Brownlee’s comments, thanking him for his review.
“We shall see how fast R1 improves and evolves,” he wrote on X. “We are a tiny team trying to catch the fast pace of AI.
“The current level of AI needs strong human-supervised fine-tuning. You can’t take your time polishing features without real user testing. We will push the OTA fix as early as tomorrow to address most of the bugs we found.
“Thanks @MKBHD for your detailed explanation of LAM! Looking forward for you to do a ‘R1 re-visit’ very soon.”
Featured image: Marques Brownlee
