Hands-on with the Bee, Amazon’s latest wearable AI device

In early tests with the review unit beeWe found the device itself easy to use. It’s just a push of a button to start or stop recording. In the app, you can configure whether a double-tap serves to bookmark a section of a conversation, process the current conversation, or both, and you can set whether a tap-and-hold gesture allows you to leave a voice note or chat with the AI ​​assistant. (The companion Bee app currently reminds you to enable voice notes, which we did.)

Like many other AI products and services, e.g Anthem, Granola, to understand, Fireflies, otterWhat’s more, Bee can listen to, record and transcribe voice conversations. The difference is that instead of providing an overview or initial text, it divides the audio into sections and summarizes each part. For example, the interview may be divided into sections such as the introduction, nitty-gritty product details, an overview of industry trends, and anything else you may have talked about.

Each section is colored with a different background color to make it easier to differentiate while scrolling. You can click on an individual section to see the exact transcription.

It wasn’t immediately clear how speakers were categorized in the app — we learned that we could tap on a portion of the conversation to confirm whether we were the speaker, but that doesn’t measure up to other professional AI-powered transcribers, where every speaker can be categorized. Additionally, Bee discards audio after transcription, making it unsuitable for use cases where you need to play audio to ensure accuracy.

However, Bee is not necessarily intended to be a business tool. Amazon sees this as artificial intelligence that can live alongside you as you go about your day. Through integration with Google services, Bee can link a recorded conversation to a task. For example, after meeting someone at a conference, they might suggest you friend them on LinkedIn or research their product.

You can also leave audio notes for yourself, as an alternative to writing something in the Notes app, for example.

Another section of the Bee app lets you reminisce about days gone by, while the Growth section offers insights as it learns more about you. You can also confirm and add a ‘Facts’ section about you, which is somewhat equivalent to other AI chatbots being able to remember things you’ve discussed.

Amazon says it will ship more features for the Bee next year.

bee not so Always listening by default, which is why competing wearables impress The Friend AI necklace has seen backlash. Instead, you’re supposed to ask if you can record someone’s conversation (unless it’s at a public event of some kind, where recording is actually expected).

When you’re recording, a green light turns on, alerting others to the fact that the device is in use.

Bee’s athletic band was a bit flimsy. The band fell off twice while wearing it, both times while sitting and not moving the hands much (like in a taxi). We haven’t tested the pin yet, but it seems sturdier.

Overall, the design of the mobile app is far superior to apps Amazon has built internally, such as the Alexa mobile experience, and is easier to use. But the hypothesis that we need AI specifically to record conversations to learn more about us remains largely untested. Is there a world where these devices make sense for consumers who don’t record in professional settings, such as meetings and interviews?

Additionally, if AI-powered listening devices become mainstream, there will also be something of a cultural shift regarding what is appropriate and what is not. Today, it is somewhat looked down upon to record videos of ordinary people going about their lives, even though it is technically legal when they are in public; Likewise, recording audio with an AI-powered device may be considered tasteless or clumsy if you don’t ask for permission first.

Of course, not everyone will adhere to this social contract, which may prompt people to self-censor their speech in public.

At CES, for example, we were speaking with a representative at the Soundcore booth. When they liked something you said about a competing product, they would joke, “Say that louder into my microphone,” pointing to the already-recorded AI device cleverly attached to their shirt. It was a strange experience to realize that everything said in the real world could one day become “on the record,” whether you agree or not.

Bee’s appeal — or lack thereof — will help Amazon determine whether this is the world consumers actually want.