In initial tests with a test device from beeWe found the device itself to be easy to make use of. With only one touch you may turn recording on or off. In the app, you may configure whether double-pressing will bookmark a bit of the conversation, process the present conversation, or each, and you may select whether a press-and-hold gesture enables you to leave a voice memo or chat with the AI assistant. (Bee's companion app currently reminds you to activate Voice Memos, so we did.)
Like many other AI services akin to Plaud, Granola, Explore, Fireflies, otterand more: Bee can listen, record and transcribe audio conversations. The difference is that it doesn't provide an summary or a raw transcript, but as a substitute segments the audio into sections and summarizes each part. For example, an interview could possibly be broken down into sections just like the introduction, key product details, an summary of industry trends, and the rest you talked about.
Each section has a unique background color to make it easier to differentiate when scrolling. You can tap on a person section to see the precise transcription.
It wasn't immediately clear easy methods to label the speakers within the app – we learned that we could tap on a bit of the conversation to verify whether we were the speaker, but this wasn't as easy as other skilled AI transcribers that might label each speaker. Additionally, Bee discards the audio after transcription, making it unsuitable to be used cases where that you must replay the audio to make sure accuracy.
However, Bee isn’t necessarily intended as a piece tool. Amazon sees this as an AI that may accompany you in on a regular basis life. By integrating with Google services, Bee can link a recorded conversation to a task. For example, after meeting someone at a conference, they may suggest you friend them on LinkedIn or discover about their product.
You also can leave yourself voice notes as a substitute of, for instance, writing something down in your Notes app.
Another section within the Bee app enables you to look back on memories from days passed by, while a Growth section offers insights as you learn more about yourself. You also can confirm and add to a “facts” section about yourself, which is somewhat analogous to other AI chatbots’ ability to recollect stuff you’ve discussed.
Amazon says it would ship more features for Bee in the approaching yr.
Bee is at all times listening by default, which is why competing wearables are so popular The Friend AI supporter experienced a backlash. Instead, you need to ask should you can record someone's conversation (unless it's a public event where a recording is already expected).
When you record, a green light illuminates, alerting others that the device is in use.
Bee's sports band was slightly weak. The band fell off twice while wearing it, each times while just sitting and without much movement of the hands (like in a taxi). We haven't tested the clip-on pin yet, nevertheless it feels sturdier.
Overall, the design of the mobile app is much ahead of the apps that Amazon has developed itself, akin to the Alexa mobile experience, and it is straightforward to make use of. But the idea that we’d like AI specifically to record conversations to learn more about ourselves remains to be largely untested. Is there a world where such devices make sense for consumers who don't record in skilled settings like meetings and interviews?
And as AI listening devices develop into mainstream, there can even must be some type of cultural shift around what is suitable and what isn’t. These days, it's somewhat frowned upon to record videos of on a regular basis people going about their lives, regardless that it's technically legal after they're in public; Likewise, recording audio with an AI device should you don't ask permission first could also be considered distasteful or distasteful.
Of course, not everyone will abide by this social contract, which could lead on to people self-censoring what they are saying in public.
For example, at CES we chatted with a representative on the Soundcore booth. If they liked something I said a few competitor's product, they might joke, “Say that louder into my microphone” and point to the already recording AI device subtly attached to their shirt. It was an odd experience to understand that all the pieces said in the actual world could at some point be “on the record,” no matter whether you agreed or disagreed.
Bee's appeal — or lack thereof — will help Amazon determine whether it is a world consumers actually want.
