24-07-2025
Amazon's sinister new gadget makes Alexa speakers look tame
Amazon is buying AI bracelet maker Bee in a major move to dominate the next wave of personal tech.
The wristbands — which cost $50 — record everything you say, even when you're talking to yourself, and sync with your phone via Bluetooth.
Powered by AI models from Anthropic, Google and Meta, Bee turns your day into a searchable database, creating personalized to-do lists and even tracking how many times you swear.
Unlike Amazon's Alexa devices — which are meant to listen only after a 'wake word' — Bee's bracelets are always on unless switched off, giving them access to far more user data to train AI models.
Bee CEO Maria de Lourdes Zollo said she was 'excited' to be joining Amazon and to bring 'truly personal, agentic AI to even more customers.'
'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,' she wrote on LinkedIn.
The deal, still pending closure, comes as wearable AI gadgets flood the market.
Meta is pushing its Ray-Ban AI glasses and Google has launched Gemini-powered earbuds.
Bee CEO Maria de Lourdes Zollo said she was 'excited' to be joining Amazon
Amazon's latest acquisition marks a shift forward from its Echo and Alexa products
Because Bee is always listening, it can collect far more data per user — feeding the constant stream of information needed to train large language models.
A spokesperson for Amazon told the Daily Mail that a deal had been signed with Bee but that the agreement is yet to close.
Alongside the proliferation of new gadgets the rise of AI has already led to increased automation and consequent layoffs.
Microsoft will eliminate thousand of positions this month as it makes deeper investments in the tech.
Amazon and Ford's CEOs have also said they're planning on slashing staff to use more generative models.
Once-dominant Intel also announced plans to cut around 2,400 jobs.
