Amazon to purchase AI firm Bee that makes wearable listening gadget

Amazon plans to accumulate wearables startup Bee AI, the corporate confirmed, within the newest instance of tech giants doubling down on generative synthetic intelligence.

Bee, primarily based in San Francisco, makes a $49.99 wristband that seems much like a Fitbit smartwatch. The gadget is supplied with AI and microphones that may hearken to and analyze conversations to offer summaries, to-do lists and reminders for on a regular basis duties.

Bee CEO Maria de Lourdes Zollo introduced in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday that the corporate will be part of 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 corporate’s plans to accumulate Bee. The firm declined to touch upon the phrases of the deal.

Amazon has launched a flurry of AI merchandise, together with its personal set of Nova fashions, Trainium chips, a buying chatbot and a market for third-party fashions known as Bedrock.

The firm has additionally overhauled its Alexa voice assistant, launched greater than a decade in the past, with AI capabilities as Amazon seems to chip away on the success of rivals comparable to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini.

Ring, the sensible dwelling safety firm owned by Amazon, has additionally regarded to introduce generative AI in a few of its merchandise.

Amazon beforehand experimented within the wearables house by way of a well being and fitness-focused product known as Halo. It sundown the Halo in 2023 as a part of a broader cost-cutting evaluate.

Other tech corporations have launched AI-infused shopper {hardware} with combined success.

There’s the Rabbit R1, a small sq. gadget that prices $199 and makes use of an OpenAI mannequin to reply questions, in addition to the AI pin developed by Humane, which later offered to HP.

Meta‘s Ray-Ban sensible glasses have grown in recognition because the first model was launched in 2021.

OpenAI in May acquired Jony Ive’s AI gadgets startup io for roughly $6.4 billion. The firm reportedly plans to develop a screen-free gadget.