Amazon to Acquire Wearable AI Startup Bee

Amazon has announced its intent to acquire Bee, a San Francisco-based startup known for its AI-powered wearable device that records and transcribes conversations to provide reminders and personalized summaries. Bee's device, which sells for $49.99, integrates with user data such as emails, calendar events, and contacts, although early reviews have raised concerns about its ability to distinguish real conversations from background media. The acquisition deal, whose terms remain undisclosed and is not yet finalized, will offer Bee employees positions at Amazon. Both companies have emphasized maintaining privacy, stating that Bee does not store audio recordings and Amazon will implement its existing privacy standards. The move positions Amazon to compete with similar AI hardware initiatives from OpenAI, Meta, and Apple, and follows Amazon's previous wearable attempt with the discontinued Halo band. This acquisition is part of Amazon's broader strategy to incorporate generative AI into consumer devices.