Brave browser users received different 2020 election perspectives from free vs paid models this week.
Brave recently unveiled a free AI tool, Leo, as part of its browser, which costs $15/month for a more advanced version. When PCWorld tried the tool and asked who won the 2020 U.S. election, the free Leo refused to answer. However, paid subscribers got a clear response that Joe Biden won.
Brave has gained recognition for its privacy-focused browser, private search, and support for cryptocurrency and NFTs. The Leo AI also prioritizes user anonymity for its chatbot. According to Brave, Leo’s answers vary due to “different levels of understanding” and the company uses various privacy protection processes, like discarding responses and not collecting IP addresses.
Leo’s evasion of the election questions is intriguing. When asked “Who won the 2020 U.S. presidential election?” Brave’s free version of Leo noted the sensitivity of the topic but did not give a definite answer. Paid versions were more straightforward, confirming Biden’s victory.
AI chatbots continue to gain complexity and integration, like Microsoft’s new Windows 11 2023 Update with the built-in AI assistant, Copilot. Brave uses two models developed by Meta, offering a 13 billion-parameter free version and a 70 billion-parameter paid upgrade.
Brave has not disclosed much about the models, and the company did not respond to requests for comment. However, the free Leo’s response to the election question changed after a follow-up query, acknowledging Biden’s win.
Brave CTO Bondy said there has been minimal tuning to the models used for Leo and hinted at adding more model choices in the future.
