Amazon has unveiled two AI-powered gadgets designed to listen to conversations, create notes and send reminders.
The first device, the Bee Frontier, is a silicone wristband that can also be attached to clothing. It costs $74.99. Amazon also introduced the Bee Eclipse, a credit card-sized gadget that magnetically connects to the back of a smartphone and sells for $99.99.
The devices were developed by Bee, an AI wearable company Amazon acquired last year.
Fitted with microphones, Bee’s “personal AI” products can transcribe meetings and everyday conversations, allowing users to capture information without reaching for a phone or taking notes. Amazon said the gadgets can also suggest “personalized goals and actions” based on what they hear.
Amazon
“It takes note of the details you might otherwise forget and turns them into useful conversation summaries, to-dos, reminders, and insights,” the company said in a release.
For instance, during a phone call about an upcoming vacation, the Bee Frontier or Bee Eclipse could generate a trip summary containing details such as flight schedules and hotel bookings.
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Bee can also connect with services including Gmail, Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook. That lets the AI draft follow-up emails or create calendar invitations based on a conversation. The devices can additionally be linked to Amazon’s Alexa+ service and Amazon.com.
Users receive conversation summaries, recaps and 14 days of memory at no cost. More advanced features—including Alexa+ and Amazon.com integration and suggested to-do lists—require a Bee Pro subscription priced at $11.99 a month.
Amazon highlighted Bee’s privacy safeguards, saying that “no one, including Amazon, can access your data.” The company said audio recordings are erased after transcription and that data cannot be accessed unless users choose to share it.
The Bee Frontier and Bee Eclipse enter a trillion-dollar market for AI gadgets aimed at consumers. Meta recently introduced Muse, an AI assistant built into a pocket-sized keychain, while Microsoft, OpenAI and Samsung are among the other companies developing consumer-focused AI products.
