The Apple AI health coach sounds like it’s no longer stuck in development hell
Apple is reportedly still working on an AI health coach, almost two years after we first heard about it. The report comes from journalist Mark Gurman Power On Newsletterpublished on Sunday, January 12, mentioning (alongside news about the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and SE 3) that: “The company is also increasing its healthcare ambitions.”
Gurman continued: “Apple is planning a revamped health app – as well as an AI-based coaching service – and additional capabilities for AirPods. That includes heart rate monitoring and sensors to measure other health data.”
The news that Apple’s AirPods are getting heart rate monitoring is exciting, but the AI health coach is also a tantalizing piece of information. It sounds like the AI companion will likely live on the iPhone’s Health app, rather than the best Apple watches. Details are scarce at the moment, but other wearables like Oura have AI advisory services in beta, allowing users to ask questions about their habits and have the AI respond using data collected by your wearables.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of Apple’s plans: back in April 2023, I reported that Apple had reportedly developed an AI fitness coach, codenamed Quartz.
The AI coach could track emotions via the Apple Watch, although we haven’t heard a peep about the functionality since. With the rollout of Apple Intelligence in full swing, it’s likely we could see a first version of this functionality in September 2025, alongside the iPhone 17.
Analysis: Still a bad idea?
AI felt like it was in its infancy just a few years ago, and I wrote about the prospect of an AI fitness coach with some trepidation. I was afraid it would be hallucinatory, provide useless or downright dangerous training ideas, and provide health advice that hadn’t been vetted by an expert. In many ways I still am.
However, after seeing AI ravage all corners of the tech world and trying several such specialty services like the Oura Advisor chatbot available with the Oura Ring 4, I’m convinced this is simply the way to go the industry is going to take action, and steps will be taken. taken to ensure that the software is safe to use.
I’m not convinced they’re all that useful, especially for experienced exercisers, but I do see the potential – for example, recommending workouts through Apple’s Fitness+ service and customizing recommended sleep suggestions based on your sleep habits, all wrapped in cozy language like Strava’s encouraging Athlete Intelligence feature.