Alexa will be able to listen to you much more from now on: what's behind Amazon's latest purchase?

Are you willing to let your virtual assistant listen to everything you say? Amazon has confirmed the acquisition of Bee, a startup developing artificial intelligence wearables with recording and personal assistance features, although the deal is not yet finalized.

With the acquisition of Bee, Amazon isn't just buying a startup: it's taking ownership of a vision for the future of artificial intelligence. One where you don't have to say "Alexa" to be heard , but rather one where its speaker, with everything it hears, can be much more useful to you, even knowing everything about you.

While the market is skeptical of wearables with artificial intelligence—after failures like the Humane AI Pin—Amazon is betting on a cheaper, more accessible… and more ubiquitous model.

With a device priced at just $50 and a monthly subscription, Bee promises an intelligence that lives with you , listens to you—literally—and acts as an omnipresent assistant. Its goal isn't to compete with a smartwatch, but rather to become a discreet extension of your memory and routine.

The device, a minimalist wristband, records everything it hears—unless you put it on silent—and converts those conversations into reminders, to-do lists, and daily actions. In other words, it doesn't wait for you to talk to it: it always listens.

As explained by Maria de Lourdes Zollo, co-founder of Bee, the long-term vision is even more ambitious: to create a "cloud phone." One that has access to your accounts, your notifications, and your calendar. A digital replica of your life on the go, always at your side, even when your phone is far away.

For Amazon, this acquisition represents a key strategic move . The company, which until now has focused its Alexa ecosystem on the home, wants its artificial intelligence to accompany users beyond the walls. And it's not alone: OpenAI is already working on its own hardware, Meta has brought its AI to Ray-Ban glasses, and Apple is flirting with a rumored Apple Glass.

For years, Alexa has been a voice responding from a bookshelf. With Bee, Amazon has the opportunity to turn its assistant into a physical, relatable, even emotional presence. A kind of "digital companion" that doesn't require a command to understand that you have something important on your mind.

This completely changes the interaction paradigm. We're no longer talking about voice commands triggered by keywords, but rather about ambient intelligence that responds to human needs without being summoned. A much more intrusive, but also more proactive, model.

And this raises key questions:

• Where is all that information stored?
• Who controls what is recorded?
• Can users trust that their data will not be used for other purposes?

Bee assures that it does not store or use recordings to train its models , and that the data it retains can be deleted by the user at any time. Additionally, they promise that they are working on a local processing system, which reduces risk by not relying on cloud storage.

But Amazon's entry changes everything. The company has a complex history of privacy issues: it shared Ring camera footage with police without users' consent, and in 2023 settled a dispute with the FTC over giving employees and contractors free access to private videos.

Amazon's move comes at a delicate time. The failure of products like the Humane AI Pin demonstrates the continued distrust of devices that promise "ambient intelligence." Bee is trying to stand out with its low price, but the underlying question remains : are we willing to pay with our privacy?

These types of technologies straddle a blurred line between utility and surveillance. While some people may see Bee as an ally that helps them remember birthdays and doctor's appointments, others may interpret it as an eye that never blinks.

The key will be the degree of control afforded to the user. Bee has already announced features to define "quiet zones" and thematic limits—for example, not recording medical or personal conversations. It also offers the option to record only those who expressly consent.

With this acquisition, Amazon isn't just redesigning its device strategy: it's redefining Alexa's profile. What began as a kitchen assistant that set timers and played music may end up becoming a digital shadow, always with you, learning from you, almost anticipating your thoughts.

The race among big tech companies to conquer the smart wearables space isn't without its obstacles. But with Bee, Amazon isn't so much trying to compete with smartwatches as to reinvent the idea of personal assistance. Less interface, more presence. Less active interaction, more passive accompaniment.