Amazon acquires wrist-worn AI device startup 'Bee'
Amazon has acquired a startup that is developing a wrist-worn AI device called 'Bee.' Bee is a device that listens to conversations throughout the day and summarizes and transcribes them.
Amazon buys Bee AI wearable that listens to everything you say | The Verge
Bee is a device that straps to your wrist or clips to your shirt and records and transcribes the audio around you, allowing you to review the conversations you've had throughout the day, help you remember interesting ideas at work, and even automatically create a diary.
The startup developing this device is also called 'Bee'. On July 23, 2025, it was revealed that Bee was acquired by Amazon and that development would continue with the Amazon team.
Bee CEO Maria de Lourdes Zoro posted the following message on LinkedIn:
'We couldn't be more excited about Bee joining Amazon! When we launched Bee, we imagined a world where AI was truly personal, where technology could learn alongside you to understand and improve your life. That dream that started with an amazing team and community has now found a new home in Amazon. (CTO) Ethan and I can't think of anyone better to partner with to bring truly personal, autonomous AI to more customers.'
The Verge, a technology media outlet that actually tried out Bee, wrote that it 'tended to confuse real-life conversations with TV shows, TikTok videos, music, and movies, and didn't always work well.'
Amazon is trying to use its smart speaker, the Echo, to listen to surrounding voices in the same way as the Bee, but it has raised privacy concerns by deliberately removing the option to 'process audio locally.'
Amazon to remove 'Do not send Echo recording data to Amazon's cloud' feature on March 28, 2025, so that all recordings will be sent to Amazon's cloud - GIGAZINE
When The Verge asked Amazon what it plans to do about privacy measures offered by Bee, such as its policy of not allowing voice recording, spokesperson Alexandra Miller responded, 'We care deeply about customer privacy and security, and we are working with Bee to give users even more control over their devices.'
Miller also said the terms of the deal were 'confidential' and that all of Bee's employees have agreed to join Amazon.
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