Amazon acquires Bee—AI wearable that listens and summarizes your day
What's the story
Amazon has acquired Bee, an innovative start-up specializing in AI wearables. The news was confirmed by Maria de Lourdes Zollo, CEO of Bee, on LinkedIn. Zollo said the deal aims to help "bring truly personal, agentic AI to even more customers." The acquisition highlights Amazon's interest in expanding its portfolio of advanced technology products beyond its existing line of Echo speakers and other voice-controlled home assistant devices.
Product details
What does Bee do?
Bee offers a $50 device that looks like a Fitbit wrist wearable but listens to conversations. It uses AI to transcribe everything said around it, creating personalized daily summaries, reminders, and suggestions within the Bee app. The device can also be given access to emails, contacts, location data, reminders, photos and calendar events for more tailored insights. The company also offers an app for Apple Watch users.
Strategic move
Amazon's move into AI wearables space
The acquisition of Bee marks a strategic shift for Amazon as it ventures into the world of wearable AI devices. This is different from its existing line of voice-controlled home assistant products. Other tech giants like OpenAI and Meta are also working on their own AI hardware and smart glasses respectively, while Apple is said to be developing its own version of AI-powered smart glasses.