Amazon will expand further into the AI-based wearable technology market through the acquisition of Bee. Bee is a San Francisco-based startup known for creating an always-listening wristband device. The deal was confirmed by Amazon and announced by Bee co-founder Maria de Lourdes Zollo on a LinkedIn post.
Bee’s flagship product is a $49.99 wristband that looks like a fitness tracker. This wearable uses AI algorithms and microphones to record and analyze conversations. The device can transcribe speech to text and generate conversation summaries. Additionally, it can be used to create to-do lists and set reminders. Currently, the device is on backorder due to very high demand.
All of Bee’s employees have received offers to join Amazon. However, the terms of the deal were undisclosed.
While these types of devices often spark concerns about privacy, especially considering the continuous audio recording nature of the device, Amazon insists that it is committed to user privacy. Bee says that it does not store the audio content, and it is only used for processing transcriptions, which can be deleted at the user’s discretion.
Tapping into Bee’s technology could be beneficial for enhancing Amazon’s Alexa technology ass it provides better context of user conversations and intent. It could also be used for helping improve the training of AI models.
On LinkedIn, Bee CEO Maria de Lourdes Zollo wrote:
“When we started Bee, we imagined a world where AI is truly personal, where your life is understood and enhanced by technology that learns with you. What began as a dream with an incredible team and community now finds a new home at Amazon.”
