Amazon invests in AI hardware by acquiring an AI-wearable startup
The deal isn’t finalized yet, but the Bee co-founder has already shared the news online.
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The deal isn’t finalized yet, but the Bee co-founder has already shared the news online.
Amazon is in the process of buying Bee, an AI-wearable startup. Its co-founder, Maria de Lourdes Zollo, first shared the news via a LinkedIn post.
The California-based company is known for making AI wearables that constantly listen to their users via dual microphones and use AI to transcribe and summarize information.
The device's main aim is to serve as a personal assistant capable of creating to-do lists, reminders, and summaries, following the user’s routine, managing meetings, and providing insights based on information from integrated applications such as calendar, email, contact, and more.
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The device, which looks like a wristband, can be purchased for $50, but it also requires an additional $19 monthly subscription. The company has also created an app for Apple Watch users for the same purpose.
For the device to do its job, it records everything it hears unless the user mutes it themselves.
The company confirmed the news about Amazon’s latest acquisition to TechCrunch, noting that the deal isn’t yet finalized.
While other companies such as Rabbit and Humane AI tried to make similar devices, they didn’t catch on, primarily because of their high prices, costing up to $500.
The partnership between the two companies shows Amazon’s attempt to switch from voice-controlled assistants to wearable AI devices.
While intended to be personalized assistants, devices like Bee’s wearable also raise privacy and security concerns due to their ability to record everything.
According to Bee's privacy policy, the audio recordings aren’t saved or used for AI training, and users have the right to delete their data anytime. However, the app does store data for AI to learn about the user and thus function as an assistant.
The company planned to only record the voices of people who gave their consent to be recorded. It is now working on a feature that would allow users to set boundaries based on topic and location so the device automatically stops listening to certain information.
The company also shared that it plans to process its AI on devices instead of in the cloud to minimize possible privacy risks.
It’s not yet known whether these plans will be implemented once the deal with Amazon is finalized.