Amazon’s Latest AI Acquisition
Amazon has made a significant move in the artificial intelligence space with the acquisition of a startup called Bee. The company has purchased Bee, which develops a wearable device and an Apple Watch app capable of recording every conversation of the wearer. According to Amazon, the deal has not yet been finalized, and the terms of the acquisition remain confidential. While specific details were not disclosed, Amazon revealed that all Bee employees have been offered positions within the company.

Details of the Acquisition
The news of the acquisition was first reported based on a LinkedIn post from Bee’s founder, Maria de Lourdes Zollo. Bee’s platform is designed as a personalized AI assistant that learns from the wearer by passively listening to their conversations and activities. The wearable device features a button to mute recording, but it has the potential to capture every conversation and activity of the owner. The app can then provide summaries of daily activities, suggest tasks, and recall previously discussed details. Additionally, Bee’s website highlights the potential for using the assistant to track personal growth, such as monitoring successes or areas for improvement as a parent.

Amazon’s History with Wearables
Amazon has had mixed results with its wearables ventures. The company still sells its smart glasses, but it discontinued its health tracker in 2023. The AI aspect of Bee may be of particular interest to Amazon, especially as the company promotes its generative AI assistant. The always-listening feature of Bee also draws parallels with Amazon’s past privacy concerns, where employees were found to be listening to conversations recorded by Alexa, including some that were recorded accidentally.