With recent advancements in AI capabilities, it’s quite obvious that big tech companies like Apple are looking for different ways to make the most of it. Apple is on its way to developing an AI-powered health coach that can change your mood, improve your diet and help you sleep better.
According to reports from Bloomberg, Apple’s latest development project—codename Quartz—is to develop an AI coach that analyses data from Apple Watch users and suggests personalised health changes. And this innovation may roll out next year!
Keep reading to know more about Apple’s secret plans for health and wellness.
Apple’s Project Quartz details
As the healthcare industry is embracing the use of AI to enhance patient care, Apple is developing an AI-based algorithmic coaching tool that enables users to receive customised suggestions on exercise routines, sleep schedules and dietary choices.
The initiative is part of Apple’s broader push to make health features central to its devices, including the Apple Watch.
According to the Bloomberg report, the coaching service will use Apple Watch data and AI analysis to create personalised coaching programs tailored to individual users. These will include when to exercise, when to sleep, what snacks to eat and how to improve mood. The coaching tool will also have an emotion log feature and an unknown aid for near-sightedness.
Apple launched a similar wellness and coaching service back in 2020. It was named LumiHealth and was in partnership with the Singapore government. LumiHealth paid monetary rewards to healthy users. However, the new project Quartz will work on a monthly subscription basis.
The project is being driven by several Apple teams—Health, Siri, AI teams and its services division. While the service is planned for next year, the Bloomberg report also states that it could be postponed or cancelled.
Apple’s emotion tracker
Apple is working on a technology to track users’ emotions, which will be added to its health app later this year. In the initial stages, users will have to log their mood in the emotion tracker and answer certain questions about the day. The tracker will compare these results over time to analyse moods.
However, in the future, Apple plans to develop additional features/algorithms that will analyse users’ speech, typed words and other device data to determine their mood. Bloomberg report says that the emotion tracker and near-sightedness management tool will debut later this year.
Apple’s plans for other health features
Apart from Project Quartz, Apple is also working on other health features to make it a leader in the health and wellness space.
Apple’s latest SmartWatch can monitor heart rate, temperature and blood oxygen levels and has a fertility tracker. The device can also detect falls or crashes and automatically contact emergency services if the wearer doesn’t disable the alert.
Apple is working on the ability to non-invasively monitor blood pressure and glucose levels through its devices. Though, it’s not clear when these features will be released.
It has also introduced features to help protect hearing health. The big tech also plans to unveil its mixed-reality headset at its June Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which will include a feature allowing users to meditate while wearing the device.
The iPad version of the iPhone Health app is also set to launch this year, allowing users to view their health data, including electrocardiogram results, in a larger format. The app will be launched at WWDC and will be central to the company’s health efforts. It’ll serve as a repository for user data collected by the Apple Watch and other health records.
Parting words
While Apple’s plans to use AI to change your mood, diet and sleep may sound exciting, they’ve raised privacy concerns. Critics say devices with such features degrade personal privacy. They’re like under-the-skin surveillance and pose a threat to individuals.
While it still needs to be seen whether these yet-to-be-announced features will make it to the market or not, as Apple’s co-founder, Steve Wozniak, was among over 1,000 industry leaders who signed an open letter calling for a pause in AI development for the next six months to address concerns about risk management. However, Apple’s current CEO, Tim Cook, was notably absent from among the signatures.
Only time will tell whether Apple’s AI-driven health features will bring positive changes or raise further privacy concerns. As with any new technology, it’s important to weigh the potential benefits against the risks and make informed decisions about using these devices.
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