Why Amazon bought Bee, an AI wearable

The Core Story

Smart rings, smart screens, smart TVs, smart pins, smart … ice cube makers? Sure, why not! AI was everywhere at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, where companies large and small were showing off how they’re bringing AI to more devices. For Amazon, CES was a time to show off its newest acquisition in the space: Bee, an AI device that can be worn as a clip-on pin or a bracelet. Amazon already has an entry in the AI consumer devices space with Alexa, whose upgraded AI-powered version, Alexa+, can run on 97% of the hardware devices Amazon has shipped. However, with Bee, the company is gaining access to a wearable that could extend its reach outside the home. Largely designed for recording conversations like interviews, meetings, or classes, Bee also works as an AI companion. The AI has access to world knowledge, and it learns more about you from a combination of your recordings and the services you permit it to access like Gmail, Google Calendar, your phone’s contacts, and Apple Health. Given that Amazon has already tried integrating Alexa into wearables like earbuds and glasses, it could seem like the company is muddying the waters with the addition of another AI companion. However, those earlier Alexa devices have not taken off in the face of competition like Apple’s AirPods and Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses. Amazon seems to understand this, which is why it’s adding Bee to its lineup. “We see each other as complementary friends,” says Bee co-founder Maria de Lourdes Zollo of Bee’s relationship with Alexa, in an interview at CES last week. “Bee has the understanding of outside the house, and Alexa has the understanding of inside the house. Of course, there will be a future where these two things come together.” That future doesn’t yet mean Bee’s AI will be replaced by Alexa. Noted Amazon Alexa VP Daniel Rausch, Amazon thinks what the team at Bee created is an “important and lovable experience

.” He describes Bee as a “deeply engaging and personal” AI, but he also agreed that, at some point, Alexa and Bee would come together. “We know that it will create even more benefit for customers than what [the AI experiences] do on their own,” Rausch explained. “When you have access to the power of these AI experiences with you throughout the day, and they’re continuous — we’re gonna be able to do so much more for customers.” De Lourdes Zollo said that Bee learns from its users, gaining an understanding of their patterns, insights, and commitments, which can help it to suggest to-do items and follow-ups throughout your day. Early use cases have included students who record lectures, elderly people who have trouble remembering things, and people who speak for a living and don’t want to always take notes manually. “They just want a place to have all the summarization of everything they said,” Bee’s co-founder said. “So based on that, we build a really big graph of knowledge [about] you, where you can go chat with Bee, and have an understanding of what happened to you, but also how you’re changing during the course of your life,” de Lourdes Zollo added. Similar to Alexa, Bee uses a combination of AI models under the hood, but it’s exploring adding Amazon’s AI as one in the mix. After transcribing the conversation, Bee discards the audio, making it impractical for many work-related use cases where you need to play back the conversation to ensure accuracy. There’s still much ahead for Bee in 2026, de Lourdes Zollo teased, without giving anything away. In addition to recent announcements of new features and functionality — like voice notes, templates, daily insights, and more — the founder said the eight-person team is working on “many new things” out of their HQ in San Francisco, where Amazon already has a large number of hardware and Alexa employees. “Honestly, it’s endless possibilities now, and that’s one of the reasons why we’re really excited to be part of Amazon,” she said. Plan ahead for the 2026 StrictlyVC events. Hear straight-from-the-source candid insights in on-stage fireside sessions and meet the builders and backers shaping the industry. Join the waitlist to get first access to the lowest-priced tickets and important updates. Google announces a new protocol to facilitate commerce using AI agents I met a lot of weird robots at CES — here are the most memorable OpenAI to acquire the team behind executive coaching AI tool Convogo Anduril’s Palmer Luckey thinks the future of tech is in the past Yes, LinkedIn banned AI agent startup Artisan, but now it’s back OpenAI unveils ChatGPT Health, says 230 million users ask about health each week

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To summarize, this event marks a significant moment in the industry. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.