Brave now has an in-browser AI chatbot named Leo that offers “unparalleled privacy.” In a blog post on Thursday, Brave revealed that Leo has the same functionality as other AI chatbots, like ChatGPT and Bing AI, but it’s “private, anonymous, and secure.”
“Leo doesn’t record chats, or use them for model training, and no account or login is required to use Leo,” Brave explained in a blog post.
Brave is rolling out Leo on desktop “in phases over the next few days.” A mobile version of the chatbot is expected to be released in the coming months. Leo is currently available on Brave version 1.60.
While the basic version of Leo is free, Brave is offering Leo Premium at $15/month for users who want more “advanced AI experiences” and extra features. To keep users anonymous, Brave said Leo Premium users will be given unlinkable tokens, and their personal details will not be linked to their usage.
‘Unparalleled Privacy’
Unlike other AI chatbots, Leo doesn’t record conversations or require login, ensuring users remain anonymous and chats are private. Leo operates through a reverse proxy, so users’ IP addresses aren’t linked to their requests.
Brave, one of our top privacy-friendly browsers, said it won’t store conversations or use them to train the chatbot. This allows users to benefit from Leo’s smart suggestions and content generation without sacrificing privacy.
“It is increasingly common today to use AI to ask questions and get assistance. AI can be a powerful tool but it can also present growing concerns for data privacy and there’s a need for a privacy-first solution,” Brian Bondy, Brave’s CTO and co-founder, said.
The free version of Brave’s Leo is built on the Llama 2 model from Meta, while Leo Premium is powered by Anthropic’s Claude Instant. Brave explained that Leo Premium users will get access to additional models and “access to higher rate limits, higher-quality conversations, priority queuing during periods of peak usage, and early access to new features and improvements.”
How to Access Brave’s Leo Chatbot
To experience Leo firsthand, install the latest Brave Browser (1.60). Next, type a question in the address bar and click “Ask Leo.” Alternatively, click the Leo icon on the sidebar of your Brave browser.
If you don’t see Leo yet on your Brave browser, check back in a few days, as it’s being rolled out gradually.
Mobile users can expect access in the future, according to Brave. You can learn more about Leo at brave.com/leo.
For more news, follow us on X (Twitter), Threads, and Mastodon!
