Amazon is acquiring Bee, a startup that makes wearable devices powered by artificial intelligence. Bee’s products are designed to record almost everything a person says throughout the day, using a bracelet or an Apple Watch app to capture ambient audio. It’s not just about listening, Bee turns all that spoken data into reminders, to-do lists, and what it calls “personal, ambient intelligence.”
The deal was announced by Bee’s CEO, Maria de Lourdes Zollo, in a LinkedIn post. “Bee is joining Amazon and we couldn’t be more excited,” she wrote.“ We imagined a world where AI is truly personal… now, Bee, finds a new home at Amazon.”
The move pushes Amazon deeper into the wearables market, adding to its existing footprint with Echo and Alexa devices. But it also comes at a time when the company is phasing out some of its earlier data privacy protections. After March 28, Amazon will remove the “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” setting on Alexa devices. From then on, all Echo requests will be processed and temporarily stored in the cloud, unless users manually delete them.
For a company already under scrutiny for how it handles voice recordings, this new acquisition (and its timing) has raised questions. In the United States, privacy groups have criticized past practices, including employees reviewing Alexa commands. Now, with a wearable that’s designed to listen constantly, critics may have even more to say.
Amazon confirmed the acquisition, though the deal hasn’t officially closed yet. Terms weren’t disclosed, but all Bee employees have been offered roles at Amazon. According to a company spokesperson, the goal is to “continue inventing in this space post-close.”
A personal watch that listens… All the time
Bee’s main product is a $49.99 bracelet that records everything you say, unless you manually hit mute. There’s also an Apple Watch version. Users pay $19 per month for a service that turns the raw audio into useful outputs: reminders, lists, and summaries of their day.
Bee says users can delete their audio, and by default, the recordings aren’t used to train AI models. Still, related data like to-dos and tags stay in the system. Bee also plans to let users limit recordings by location or context.
What makes Bee different is the framing. Some see it as the next step in artificial intelligence: a system that doesn’t just answer questions, but understands your daily patterns.
What about privacy ?
While Bee talks about control and customization, the bigger concern for many is what happens now that Amazon owns it. Everyone knows that the company has a long history of privacy challenges, especially around Alexa and Echo devices.
Well, Bee’s tech takes this even further. Rather than listening for a keyword like “Alexa,” the device is listening by default. This can sound scary, and is tricky especially in places like the U.S. where laws around ambient recording are still evolving.
Amazon says it takes privacy seriously and that data like healthcare information collected through Bee will be protected under existing regulations. But with more and more audio being collected, stored, and possibly analyzed, trust is likely to be a key issue.
Bee and Amazon shake hands
Amazon says Bee employees will join the company and continue working on the same products. A spokesperson noted that Bee is developing new features to give users “greater control” over their experience, though details remain vague.
Amazon hasn’t said yet how Bee’s AI watch will fit into its broader product lineup or if it’ll become part of Alexa or Echo. But one thing is sure: with Amazon focusing on artificial intelligence, Bee’s model could play a key role in the company’s future.