Apple's reportedly prepping a new Health app for next year, possibly dropping alongside Siri's long-awaited makeover. The combo could finally make the Apple Watch feel truly hands-free, with Siri integrated more deeply into daily health tracking. But Apple's biggest test won't be the features: it'll be finding the right balance. One wrong move, and the update could do more harm than good.
As someone who's had a front-row seat to this AI health coach craze, I'm torn on whether Apple even needs one. In its race to keep up with the Joneses (and the Googles), it risks losing what's always set it apart: privacy and simplicity. Apple's next move could define its place in the AI health race, and I, for one, hope it ends up being more than just a Siri icon slapped on the Health app.
Last week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple may be nearing a billion-dollar deal with Google to use a custom version of its Gemini AI to beef up Siri. The company's been losing top AI engineers to Meta and other big spenders, and building its own system may no longer be realistic. Teaming up with Google might be an expensive gamble, but Apple knows it must either keep up or risk getting left behind.
Multiple reports (including Gurman's) also suggest Apple is working on a redesigned Health app under the code name Project Mulberry. The rumored "Health Plus" service would heavily rely on AI (and potentially the new Siri) to create a more cohesive health experience, turning the flood of biometric data from Apple Watch and other connected devices into actionable insights, similar to the new Coach feature Google recently debuted on the Fitbit app.
Apple seems to be at a crucial pivot point when it comes to AI, one that could have lasting effects on its health ambitions. On one hand, it needs to prove to investors that it can keep up with competitors like Fitbit (Google), Oura, and others offering concierge-style AI chatbots to analyze health data. On the other hand, none of these early examples has shown a real use case that makes them indispensable to people. Apple's implementation and its timing could ultimately make or break consumer confidence in the brand.
The Apple Watch (Series 10 and later) uses AI models to detect signs of sleep apnea. Apple
The landscape
There's no stopping the AI wave. Previously, it mostly worked in the background -- powering passive alerts, such as irregular heart-rate notifications, or automatically detecting when you started a run. Now, it's moving front and center, ready for people to interact with directly on the phone or watch via voice commands.
Android phones have Gemini baked in with a camera-powered Google Lens that can analyze the world around them, while Apple has relied on ChatGPT for some of its Apple Intelligence features on the iPhone. Google recently debuted Gemini on its Wear OS watches, adding natural language capabilities to the wrist. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET's parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)
On the health front, the holy grail tech companies seem to be chasing is the one-stop-shop wellness concierge that ties together all your device data and turns it into actionable feedback that actually improves your health.
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