Brave Leo AI: The Chatbot that Respects Your Privacy

Robert_Stark

your personal internet wingman. Ask Leo to summarize web pages in seconds or provide insightful talking points on trending videos. Leo can also generate new content, translate text, and even compose terrible poetry if you're into that.

Unlike Big Tech assistants, Leo's responses are anonymous. Once your chat ends, the conversation vanishes into the void. There's no need to log in or hand over personal data. Leo taps into Brave's built-in privacy protection to keep your information secure.

Early tests show that Leo can outmaneuver competitors like ChatGPT on web comprehension and speed thanks to Claude's cutting-edge natural language skills. But for now, Leo is only available on the desktop version of the Brave browser.

So, if you're looking for an AI copilot to navigate the web's informational overload, Leo may be your new BFF. Just don't ask about those snow boots.

What is Brave? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiXaHv_9rmQ

As discussed previously, Brave is a free privacy-focused browser that blocks website trackers and online ads.

By default, brave runs in incognito mode, shutting out invasive ads and pop-ups. No more getting bombarded with ads after clicking on them once. Brave strips away the cross-site trackers that stalk your clicks and build creepy advertising profiles.

By default, with Brave, you use an incognito window. Brave blocks cookies and cross-site trackers, eliminating ad campaigns that follow you from website to website. This is a game-changer for most of us who are showered with unwanted ads in news feeds, social media, and other internet browsers.

What is Brave Leo AI? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odAjS0CMHj0

Leo is your personal AI sidekick for the web. With Leo, you can:

• Get summaries of webpages and videos in seconds. Leo scans content and highlights key facts and concepts. 
• Receive informed opinions on trending topics. Ask Leo for the main talking points to sound smart at your next dinner party. 
• Generate new articles, emails, and more. Tell Leo to compose a poem, translate text, or transcribe audio. 
• Have natural conversations. Leo's friendly interface makes chatting feel smooth and natural.

Leo streamlines your workflow by quickly delivering critical information. No more scanning dense articles or watching long videos. Leo does the work and gives summary insights on demand.

Brave Leo Features 

Leo launched in November 2023, bringing AI assistance to the desktop version of the Brave browser.

Like other AI chatbots, Leo is designed to help folks:

• Quickly obtain information. 
• Solve problems. 
• Find answers to questions.

However, Leo has another string to its bow: it can create real-time summaries of web pages and videos. Leo simplifies web searches with features including: 

• Independent analysis. Leo scans and comprehends current web pages without relying on external sources. 
• Anonymous use. Conversations disappear once completed. No login or personal data required. 
• User control. Leo only accesses open browser tabs. Users decide what sites and info to analyze. 
• Ad-free experience. Leo blocks distracting ads and trackers, allowing you to focus on content. 
• Natural language processing. Claude framework enables smooth voice and text conversations. 
• Easy accessibility. Leo conveniently accessible via browser sidebar and address bar icons.

With Leo, Brave combines AI with enhanced user privacy. No tracking, profiling, or data collection. Just an AI assistant ready to understand and summarize the web for you.

What drives Brave Leo? 

Leo's AI brain is powered by Llama 2, a large language model (LLM) released by Meta that's free for research and commercial usage. Llama 2 enables Leo to understand natural language requests and provide informed responses.

Leo uses a reverse proxy service to keep all user interactions anonymous. This intermediary server shields your IP address and identity. It forwards requests to Leo and relays responses back to you.

A reverse proxy can mask your identity, and if someone were trying to find out who you are, they are more likely to get the reverse proxy details than yours. Once your chat ends, the exchange is permanently deleted with no trace left behind.

So when you chat with Leo, you can feel confident sharing queries and information freely. The reverse proxy anonymizes every conversation.

Brave engineered Leo for capabilities, user privacy, and security. The reverse proxy design bakes anonymity into every interaction. You get an AI assistant without compromising personal data.

Why should you use Brave Leo? 

Helping you find your way around the internet more easily might sound suspicious if Brave Leo was trained to lead you to sites chosen by big tech companies or if your searches were tracked. But in keeping with the team's philosophy, Leo is built into the Brave browser. It falls within the independent, anonymous, and secure boundaries the Brave team sets.

How current is the information Brave Leo holds? 

While a plan exists to access some live information in future releases, Brave Leo doesn't currently have its own specific access.

However, when used with the Brave browser, Leo can analyze and summarize or explain any webpage you open without leaving the page. This could be a handy feature.

Pricing of Leo 

The basic Leo is free for Brave desktop users. Leo Premium costs $15/month and uses Anthropic's Claude assistant for improved responses in a multilingual setting, coding, and excellent logical reasoning.

If you opt for the premium version, you must create an account. Brave confirms there's no link between your Leo interactions and the personal details used in your account.

This is a comparison of the free and paid versions, as provided by Brave.com:

Is there anything I need to look out for? 

Regardless of which version of Brave Leo you use, use clear and precise instructions to reduce the likelihood of receiving incorrect answers.

Because your conversations aren't retained, there's no way you can look back on past conversations. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be a problem, but if you want the information for future use, copy and save it elsewhere.

All AI chatbots tend to 'hallucinate,' and Leo will also. So, Brave recommends double-checking the supplied information for accuracy. If you use Leo to interpret web pages already opened, it's easier to confirm the accuracy of the provided answers.

How do I get Brave Leo? 

Brave Leo is currently only available on desktop computers, with mobile versions expected to run shortly. To start using Leo:

1. Download and install Brave Browser 1.60 or higher. 
2. Open the Brave browser on your desktop. 
3. Locate the Leo icon in your browser's sidebar or address bar. 
4. Click the Leo icon to open the chat window. 
5. Type a question or request and hit Enter or Send. 
6. Leo will provide a response to your query. 
7. Continue the conversation by entering additional questions and comments. 
8. Click the Leo icon again to close the chat window and end the session.

With just a few clicks, you can access Leo directly within the Brave browser for quick and anonymous AI assistance.

Why should you download Brave? 

By downloading Brave, you get not only the usual features of browsers but also three features that most browsers don't have:

1. Privacy: Along with an incognito window, Brave doesn't track you or your searches. Because Brave doesn't collect your data, it can't share or sell it to others.
2. Independent Searches: Brave has built its own search engine index. Now, your searches are independent of big tech companies that track you and may have a vested interest in promoting specific websites.
3. Speed: Because advertisers aren't tracking your every click, internet speed is faster – 3 times faster than Chrome is the pitch claimed by Brave. Not only quicker page loading, but no longer downloading data you don't need, and laptop batteries will go further on less charge. Brave is an excellent solution if privacy and speed are compelling issues for you. It's quick to download and imports your bookmarks, extensions, and passwords, making the switch easy. 

How Brave makes money? 

If Brave is secure and doesn't sell data to interested parties, how does it make money? The short answer is:

• Brave does have advertisements.

The main difference between Brave and Google ads is that Brave browser ads can't track you from site to site. Brave uses a private advertising network instead.

If you opt for the Brave Rewards system, you can choose which kinds of ads you see and the maximum number shown to you per hour. The ads are strategically placed on the page, making them less intrusive than on other browsers. And as a reward, you'll earn tokens each time an ad appears on your screen.

Brave uses Basic Attention Token (BAT), based on Ethereum - an open-source blockchain platform. BAT connects users (people using Brave as a browser) with advertisers, publishers, or creators. In exchange for displaying ad types of your choice, your attention is given a value that earns you 70% of the ad income Brave receives from advertisers in the form of a BAT. BATs can be exchanged for both fiat and cryptocurrencies and gift cards from various companies.

Brave: AI without compromise 

Brave redefines the web browser with its focus on privacy and speed. No more annoying ads or trackers following your every click. Leo adds a privacy-focused chatbot. Conversations vanish when you're done.

As big tech gathers more user data for its AI, Brave, and Leo offer an alternative. If you want to control your web experience, the Brave-Leo team has you covered. Intelligent browsing and assistance while respecting your data. The future looks bright with Brave's innovative approach.