Amazon Acquires Bee: The AI Wearable That Listens to Everything You Say

Amazon acquires Bee, the AI wearable that records everything you say | TechCrunch

Amazon has acquired the AI wearables startup Bee, according to a LinkedIn post by Bee co-founder Maria de Loudres Zollo. Amazon confirmed the acquisition to TechCrunch, but noted that the deal has not yet closed. Bee, which raised $7 million last year, makes both a standalone Fitbit-like bracelet (which retails for $49.99, plus a $19-per-month subscription) and an Apple Watch app. The product records everything it hears -- unless the user manually mutes it -- with the goal of listening to conversations to create reminders and to-do lists for the user. Zollo told TechCrunch last year that the company hopes to create a "cloud phone," or a mirror of your phone that gives the personal Bee device access to the user's accounts and notifications, making it possible to get reminders about events or send messages. "We believe everyone should have access to a personal, ambient intelligence that feels less like a tool and more like a trusted companion. One that helps you reflect, remember, and move through the world more freely," Bee claims on its website. Other companies like Rabbit and Humane AI have tried to make AI-enabled wearables like this, but have not found much success thus far. But at a $50 price point, Bee's devices are more cost-accessible to a curious consumer who doesn't want to make a big financial commitment. (The ill-fated Humane AI Pin was $499.) An Amazon spokesperson told TechCrunch that Bee employees received offers to join Amazon. This acquisition signals Amazon's interest in developing wearable AI devices, a different avenue from its voice-controlled home assistant products like its line of Echo speakers. ChatGPT maker OpenAI is working on its own AI hardware, while Meta is integrating its AI into its smart glasses. Apple is rumored to be working on AI-powered smart glasses as well. These products come with a number of security and privacy risks, given that they record everything around them; different companies' policies will vary in terms of how voice recordings are processed, stored, and used for AI training. In its current privacy policies, Bee says that users can delete their data at any time, and that audio recordings are not saved, stored, or used for AI training. The app does store data that the AI learns about the user, however, which is how it can function as an assistant. Bee previously indicated that it planned to only record the voices of people who have verbally consented. Bee also says it's working on a feature to allow users to define boundaries -- both based on topic and location -- that will automatically pause the device's learning. The company also noted that it plans to build on-device AI processing, which generally poses less of a privacy risk than processing data in the cloud. It's not clear if these policies will change as Bee is integrated into Amazon, however -- and Amazon has a mixed record on the handling of user data from its customers' devices. In the past, Amazon shared footage with law enforcement from people's personal Ring security cameras, with neither the owner's consent, nor a warrant. Ring also settled claims in 2023 brought by the Federal Trade Commission that employees and contractors had broad and unrestricted access to customers' videos.

Amazon buys Bee AI wearable that listens to everything you say

Emma Roth is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Amazon is acquiring Bee, a startup that puts AI on your wrist. Bee CEO Maria de Lourdes Zollo says on LinkedIn that the company is joining Amazon to help "bring truly personal, agentic AI to even more customers." Bee makes a $49.99 Fitbit-like device that listens in on your conversations while using AI to transcribe everything that you and the people around you say, allowing it to generate personalized summaries of your days, reminders, and suggestions from within the Bee app. You can also give the device permission to access your emails, contacts, location, reminders, photos, and calendar events to help inform its AI-generated insights, as well as create a searchable history of your activities. My colleague Victoria Song got to try out the device for herself and found that it didn't always get things quite right. It tended to confuse real-life conversations with the TV shows, TikTok videos, music, and movies that it heard. When asked about Amazon's plans to apply the same privacy measures offered by Bee, such as its policy against storing audio, Amazon spokesperson Alexandra Miller says the company "cares deeply" about customer privacy and security. "We've been strong stewards of customer data since our founding, and have never been in the business of selling our customers' personal information to others," Miller says. "We design our products to protect our customers' privacy and security and to make it easy for them to be in control of their experience -- and this approach would of course apply to Bee." Miller also notes that the deal isn't yet closed, and its terms are "confidential." All Bee employees have "received offers to join Amazon."

Amazon to buy startup focused on AI wearables

SAN FRANCISCO, July 22 (Reuters) - Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab has reached a deal to buy San Francisco-based Bee, a startup making an artificial intelligence-enabled bracelet to listen in on and transcribe conversations. Bee's $50 wristband can analyze and distill what it records to make summaries, to-do lists or other tasks. Amazon confirmed the deal on Tuesday following a post on LinkedIn by Bee CEO and co-founder Maria de Lourdes Zollo. The deal has not yet closed and Amazon declined to provide terms. A spokesperson said Amazon will work with Bee to give users more control over the devices, which are set to automatically transcribe audio but can be muted. "We imagined a world where AI is truly personal, where your life is understood and enhanced by technology that learns with you," said Zollo in her post. She did not immediately respond to a query on Tuesday. It was not Amazon's first foray into wearables. The Seattle online retailer marketed a line of wrist health trackers called Halo but ultimately killed the project in 2023. It also has a line of smart glasses embedded with Amazon's virtual assistant, Alexa, under its Echo brand. ChatGPT parent OpenAI bought former Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab designer Jony Ive's AI device startup called io for about $6.5 billion. Other startups have made early attempts at AI wearables, with mixed results. In her post, Zollo thanked Amazon devices executive Panos Panay, suggesting Bee would join his group when the deal closes. Much of Amazon's AI development is being conducted in its Amazon Web Services unit. Bee was founded in 2022. Reporting by Greg Bensinger in San Francisco; Editing by Matthew Lewis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab * Suggested Topics: * Artificial Intelligence Greg Bensinger Thomson Reuters Greg Bensinger joined Reuters as a technology correspondent in 2022 focusing on the world's largest technology companies. He was previously a member of The New York Times editorial board and a technology beat reporter for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. He also worked for Bloomberg News writing about the auto and telecommunications industries. He studied English literature at The University of Virginia and graduate journalism at Columbia University. Greg lives in San Francisco with his wife and two children.

Amazon to buy AI company Bee that makes wearable listening device

Amazon logo on a brick building exterior in San Francisco on Aug. 20, 2024. Amazon plans to acquire wearables startup Bee AI, the company confirmed, in the latest example of tech giants doubling down on generative artificial intelligence. Bee, based in San Francisco, makes a $49.99 wristband that appears similar to a Fitbit smartwatch. The device is equipped with AI and microphones that can listen to and analyze conversations to provide summaries, to-do lists and reminders for everyday tasks. Bee AI CEO Maria de Lourdes Zollo announced in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday that the company will join Amazon. "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," Zollo wrote. "What began as a dream with an incredible team and community now finds a new home at Amazon." Amazon spokesperson Alexandra Miller confirmed the company's plans to acquire Bee. The company declined to comment on the terms of the deal.

Amazon is acquiring an AI wearable that listens to everything you do

Amazon's latest move in the AI space is an acquisition. The company is purchasing a startup called Bee, which makes a wearable and an Apple Watch app that can record everything the wearer says. Amazon said that the deal has not closed and that the terms of the acquisition are confidential. Although the company did not provide specific numbers, it added that all Bee employees received offers to join Amazon. first reported this news based on a LinkedIn from Bee founder Maria de Lourdes Zollo. Bee presents its platform as a personalized AI assistant that passively learns from its wearer by listening to all of their conversations and activities. While the wearable does have a button to mute recording, it can theoretically observe every single thing the owner does or says. The app can then summarize daily activities, suggest to-do items or recall previously discussed details. Bee's also gives examples of using the assistant for personal growth, such as tracking successes or possible improvements as a parent. Amazon has had a mixed bag with wearables endeavors. It still sells smart glasses, but shuttered its health tracker in 2023. The AI angle of Bee may be of particular interest for Amazon, especially as the company pushes its generative AI assistant. The always-listening aspect of Bee also harkens back to Amazon's privacy debacle of a few years back when it had to concerns that employees were conversations recorded by Alexa, including some recorded by accident.

Amazon is acquiring Bee, maker of a wearable AI assistant that listens to conversations

Amazon is buying Bee, a small San Francisco startup behind a $49.99 wearable wrist device designed to record and transcribe conversations. Bee CEO and co-founder Maria de Lourdes Zollo announced the acquisition on LinkedIn, saying that deal will "help us bring truly personal, agentic AI to even more customers." "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," she said. "What began as a dream with an incredible team and community now finds a new home at Amazon." Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Bee is one of several startups developing wearables that listen to everything you say and turn recordings into summaries and insights. Bee also integrates email, calendar, contacts and more data. Bee says it does not store audio recordings and uses the "highest security standards." It's also testing on-device AI models. "We design our products to protect our customers' privacy and security and to make it easy for them to be in control of their experience -- and this approach would of course apply to Bee," an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement to GeekWire. Bee employees have received offers to join Amazon, according to the spokesperson. It's not clear how Amazon plans to integrate Bee into its existing devices or broader AI strategy. Other tech giants include OpenAI and Meta are developing personal AI assistant hardware and software products. Founded last year, Bee raised a $7 million round from Exor, Greycroft, New Wave VC, Banana Capital, and other investors. The company is led by Zollo and CTO/co-founder Ethan Sutin. Both previously worked at Twitter and Squad (acquired by Twitter).

Amazon buys wearable AI startup Bee, a wrist device that hears and transcribes every word you speak

A Fitbit-esque wearable to help you remember your day powered by AI As Amazon spends this year attempting to bolster its AI bonafides, the internet retail giant is reportedly acquiring Bee, a startup that makes an AI wearable for your wrist. The announcement was made by Bee CEO Maria de Lourdes Zollo on LinkedIn who wrote she "couldn't think of better partners to help us bring truly personal, agentic AI to even more customers." Amazon confirmed the acquisition in an email to Tom's Guide, though noted that the deal "isn't closed yet" and the two entities are still two companies. Bee is a recent startup that makes a $49.99 Fitbit-esque wrist device, dubbed the Bio Pioneer edition that is still in preorder and slated to launch in September. The device is meant to listen to your conversations through your day and then use AI to transcribe everything said by and around you. From there the AI agent will generate personalized summaries of your day plus reminders and suggestions in the Bee app. You can also let the Bee access your calendar, contacts, emails, location, photos and reminders to help the AI's insights and send information. With Amazon, we were told that Bee is working on a number of new features to "provide even greater control over" their devices. "We're excited to partner with the Bee team to continue inventing in this space," Amazon spokesperson Alexandra Miller said in an email. Some have tried out the device, The Verge's Victoria Song went hands on with the Bee and described it as a "glimmer of a good idea." She was skeptical that we need to record our conversations all the time and found that it confused real-life conversations with media playing in the background. Plus, there are privacy concerns around Bee, though Lourdes has said previously that Bee doesn't store any recordings. Before pre-sales opened the company emphasized that they wanted to profit via device sales and subscriptions. However, compared to the Humane AI Pin, Rabbit R1 and Friend pendant, Song did say the Bee is the "most successful AI wearable" she's tried with the cavaet that it's a very low bar. We reached out to Bee for comment on how it plans to partner with Amazon and its goals with the new partnership. They have not responded as of publication but we will update if they do.

Amazon buys wearable AI device maker Bee for an undisclosed sum - SiliconANGLE

Amazon buys wearable AI device maker Bee for an undisclosed sum Amazon.com Inc. is buying the wearable electronics startup Bee, officially known as Bluush Inc., for an undisclosed price, as part of a strategy to take the lead in more personal artificial intelligence services. The acquisition, which has not yet closed, was announced by Bee co-founder and Chief Executive Maria de Lourdes Zollo on LinkedIn, who proclaimed that the company couldn't have found a better partner to bring "truly personal agentic AI to even more customers." Bee, which launched earlier this year, is the developer of a smart bracelet device called the Bee Pioneer that's somewhat similar to Fitbit. The device sells for $49.99 per month and users must also pay a monthly subscription fee of $19.99. It acts like a very personal, wearable AI assistant that records all that the user says and everything else it hears, though it can be muted at any time. The idea is that, by listening, it gets to know users so it can create to-do lists, reminders and provide them with advice and tips. The company closed on a $7 million seed funding round in July 2024. Zollo told TechCrunch in an interview at the time that it intends to create a kind of "cloud mirror" of the users' smartphones, with access to all of their social media and email accounts, so it can provide timely reminders and tips and send messages on their behalf. According to Zollo, the startup wants to give everyone access to "personal, ambient intelligence" that feels like a "trusted companion," helping them to navigate their world more easily. Bee isn't alone in sharing this ambition, but it appears to have had more success than rival AI wearable startups such as Humane AI Inc. and Rabbit Inc., thanks to the low-cost nature of its devices. Humane AI's now-discontinued Pin, in contrast, was sold at a hefty price of $499, so it wasn't surprising that it ultimately went out of business. Rabbit is still around, but its R1 device costs four times as much as Bee's wristband at $199. Bee has always made a big deal about its privacy, conscious that consumers are likely to have a lot of concerns about a device that records everything they say and tracks where they go. Bee needs to store some information, of course, so it can do its job as a personal assistant, but in its privacy policy, it explains that it doesn't save or store user's audio recordings, and it doesn't use them for AI training. What it does do is save information that it learns about each user (like, a summary of what they talk about, the messages they receive and so on). But it notes that they can delete all of their data at any moment, should they choose to do so. Bee has also said it's planning to update its device so it only records the voices of those who have consented to it, but it does not appear to do this currently. In addition, it has said it's working on a feature that will allow users to set guidelines on what the device can and cannot record, based on different topics and locations. So the device would automatically switch itself off if the user ventures into their bedroom, for example. The startup is also looking to build a more powerful device capable of processing AI data internally rather than sending it to the cloud to be processed, which is something that will increase privacy for users. That said, it's not clear if Bee will retain these policies and goals now that it's set to be owned by Amazon. For its part, Amazon said in a statement that it "cares deeply" about user privacy and security. A spokesperson for the company told WinBuzzer that it has been a "strong steward of customer data" ever since it was founded, and pointed out that it has never been in the business of selling personal information to third parties. The spokesperson promised to work with Bee to give users "more control" over their devices. But it stopped short of saying it will adhere to its original policy of not storing audio data, so questions remain about how strong its privacy commitment really is. Amazon has previously stirred up controversy regarding its policies for the Amazon Ring security cameras, after sharing footage they recorded with law enforcement agencies without the owner's consent. The acquisition is a strategic move for Amazon and suggests it's a big believer in the idea that wearables will become the next big battleground for AI as it moves beyond the smartphone. It's not the only technology giant that seems to think so either. Meta Platforms Inc. recently invested $3.5 billion in its smart glasses partner EssilorLuxottica SA, which has been working with a number of big name eyewear brands to popularize the concept of ambient intelligence. Meta previously partnered with Bausch & Lomb Corp. to develop the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and has already sold millions of those devices, illustrating the consumer appetite for intelligent wearables. It's now building on that with its new line of Oakley Meta sunglasses aimed at athletes. OpenAI is also looking at wearable hardware as a foundation for AI, but it's taking a different approach by acquiring io Products Inc., a somewhat secretive startup founded by former Apple Inc. Chief Design Officer Jony Ive. Prior to the acquisition, io was reported to be developing some kind of consumer AI device with no display, but it was never made clear exactly what form factor it would take. OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman didn't reveal much either, but instead articulated a vision of building "something beyond the legacy products we've been using for so long." Bee does not represent Amazon's first foray into wearable devices. In previously built a line of wristband health trackers called Halo, which were similar to Fitbit, but failed to make much of an impact and ultimately were discontinued it in 2023. It also sells Echo-branded smart glasses powered by its AI assistant Alexa.

Amazon buys wearable AI device maker Bee for an undisclosed fee - SiliconANGLE

Amazon buys wearable AI device maker Bee for an undisclosed fee Amazon.com Inc. is buying the wearable electronics startup Bee, officially known as Bluush Inc., for an undisclosed price, as part of a strategy to take the lead in more personal artificial intelligence services. The acquisition, which has not yet closed, was announced by Bee co-founder and Chief Executive Maria de Lourdes Zollo on LinkedIn, who proclaimed that the company couldn't have found a better partner to bring "truly personal agentic AI to even more customers". Bee, which launched earlier this year, is the developer of a smart bracelet device called the Bee Pioneer that's somewhat similar to Fitbit. The device sells for $49.99 per month and users must also pay a monthly subscription fee of $19.99. It acts like a very personal, wearable AI assistant that records all that the user says and everything else it hears, though it can be muted at any time. The idea is that, by listening, it gets to know the user so it can create to-do lists, reminders and provide them with advice and tips. The company closed on a $7 million seed funding round in July 2024, and Zollo told TechCrunch in an interview at the time that it intends to create a kind of "cloud mirror" of the user's smartphone, with access to all of their social media and email accounts, so it can provide timely reminders and tips and send messages on their behalf. According to Zollo, the startup wants to give everyone access to "personal, ambient intelligence" that feels like a "trusted companion", helping them to navigate their world more easily. Bee isn't alone in sharing this ambition, but it appears to have had more success than rival AI wearable startups such as Humane AI Inc. and Rabbit Inc., thanks to the low-cost nature of its devices. Humane AI's now-discontinued Pin, in contrast, was sold at a hefty price of $499, and so it wasn't surprising that it ultimately went out of business. Rabbit is still around, but its R1 device costs four-times as much as Bee's wristband at $199. Bee has always made a big deal about its privacy, conscious that consumers are likely to have a lot of concerns about a device that records everything they say and tracks where they go. Bee needs to store some information, of course, so it can do its job as a personal assistant, but in its privacy policy, it explains that it doesn't save or store user's audio recordings, and it doesn't use them for AI training. What it does do is save information that it learns about each user (like, a summary of what they talk about, the messages they receive and so on), but it notes that they can delete all of their data at any moment, should they choose to do so. Bee has also said it's planning to update its device so it only records the voices of those who have consented to it, but it does not appear to do this currently. In addition, it has said it's working on a feature that will allow users to set guidelines on what the device can and cannot record, based on different topics and locations. So the device would automatically switch itself off if the user ventures into their bedroom, for example. The startup is also looking to build a more powerful device capable of processing AI data internally rather than sending it to the cloud to be processed, which is something that will increase privacy for users. That said, it's not clear if Bee will retain these policies and goals now that it's set to be owned by Amazon. For its part, Amazon said in a statement that it "cares deeply" about user privacy and security. A spokesperson for the company told WinBuzzer that it has been a "strong steward of customer data" ever since it was founded, and pointed out that it has never been in the business of selling personal information to third parties. The spokesperson promised to work with Bee to give users "more control" over their devices, but it stopped short of saying it will adhere to its original policy of not storing audio data, so questions remain about how strong its privacy commitment really is. Amazon has previously stirred up controversy regarding its policies for the Amazon Ring security cameras, after sharing footage they recorded with law enforcement agencies without the owner's consent. The acquisition is a strategic move for Amazon and suggests it's a big believer in the idea that wearables will become the next big battleground for AI as it moves beyond the smartphone. It's not the only technology giant that seems to think so either, for Meta Platforms Inc. recently invested $3.5 billion in its smart glasses partner EssilorLuxottica SA, which has been working with a number of big name eyewear brands to popularize the concept of ambient intelligence. Meta previously partnered with Bausch & Lomb Corp. to develop the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and has already sold millions of those devices, illustrating the consumer appetite for intelligent wearables. It's now building on that with its new line of Oakley Meta sunglasses, aimed at athletes. OpenAI is also looking at wearable hardware as a foundation for AI, but it's taking a different approach by acquiring io Products Inc., a somewhat secretive startup founded by former Apple Inc. Chief Design Officer Jony Ive. Prior to the acquisition, io was reported to be developing some kind of consumer AI device with no display, but it was never made clear exactly what form factor it would take. OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman didn't reveal much either, but instead articulated a vision of building "something beyond the legacy products we've been using for so long." Bee does not represent Amazon's first foray into wearable devices. In previously built a line of wristband health trackers called Halo, which were similar to Fitbit, but failed to make much of an impact and ultimately discontinued it in 2023. It also sells Echo-branded smart glasses powered by its AI assistant Alexa.

Amazon to buy startup focused on AI wearables

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -Amazon has reached a deal to buy San Francisco-based Bee, a startup making an artificial intelligence-enabled bracelet to listen in on and transcribe conversations. Bee's $50 wristband can analyze and distill what it records to make summaries, to-do lists or other tasks. Amazon confirmed the deal on Tuesday following a post on LinkedIn by Bee CEO and co-founder Maria de Lourdes Zollo. The deal has not yet closed and Amazon declined to provide terms. A spokesperson said Amazon will work with Bee to give users more control over the devices, which are set to automatically transcribe audio but can be muted. "We imagined a world where AI is truly personal, where your life is understood and enhanced by technology that learns with you," said Zollo in her post. She did not immediately respond to a query on Tuesday. It was not Amazon's first foray into wearables. The Seattle online retailer marketed a line of wrist health trackers called Halo but ultimately killed the project in 2023. It also has a line of smart glasses embedded with Amazon's virtual assistant, Alexa, under its Echo brand. ChatGPT parent OpenAI bought former Apple designer Jony Ive's AI device startup called io for about $6.5 billion. Other startups have made early attempts at AI wearables, with mixed results. In her post, Zollo thanked Amazon devices executive Panos Panay, suggesting Bee would join his group when the deal closes. Much of Amazon's AI development is being conducted in its Amazon Web Services unit. Bee was founded in 2022. (Reporting by Greg Bensinger in San Francisco; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

Amazon to acquire Bee AI wearable that hears every word you say

HIGHLIGHTS Amazon is set to acquire Bee. Bee is a startup that brings AI directly to your wrist. The acquisition signals Amazon's push into AI wearables. Amazon is acquiring Bee, a startup that brings AI directly to your wrist. Bee's co-founder, Maria de Lourdes Zollo, announced the news on LinkedIn, saying the team is joining Amazon to help "bring truly personal, agentic AI to even more customers." Amazon confirmed the deal to TechCrunch, although it's not officially closed yet. Bee offers a lightweight bracelet for $49.99, along with a $19 monthly subscription, and an Apple Watch app. The device constantly listens to everything (unless muted) and uses AI to turn spoken conversations into helpful reminders and to-do lists. The idea is to act like a personal assistant that's always paying attention. Also read: OpenAI partners with Oracle to expand Stargate AI data centers to 5 GW In an interview with TechCrunch last year, Zollo explained that Bee's long-term vision was to build a "cloud phone" or a kind of digital mirror of your smartphone. Bee describes its mission on its website as creating "a personal, ambient intelligence that feels less like a tool and more like a trusted companion." While other companies, such as Humane AI, have launched AI wearables, they've struggled to gain traction, partly due to high prices. Bee's lower price point could make it more appealing to everyday users who are curious about AI but don't want to spend a fortune. This deal shows Amazon's growing interest in wearable AI tech, expanding beyond its voice-controlled devices like Echo speakers. The move also puts Amazon in line with other major tech players like OpenAI and Apple, who are all exploring ways to bring AI into personal hardware. Also read: YouTube removes nearly 11,000 propaganda channels linked to China and Russia However, devices like Bee raise privacy concerns. Bee claims users can delete their data at any time and that it doesn't save or use audio recordings for AI training. It's unclear whether these practices will continue under Amazon, a company that has previously faced criticism over data handling.