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’s Power On newsletter, published on Sunday, January 12, in which he mentions (along with news about the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and SE 3) that: “The company is also increasing its ambitions in the area of health”.
Gurman continued: “Apple is planning a revamped health app, as well as an AI-based fitness service, and additional capabilities for AirPods. “That includes heart rate monitoring and sensors to measure other health data.”
The news about Apple’s AirPods heart rate monitoring is exciting, but the AI health coach is also a compelling nugget of information. It seems like the AI companion is likely to live in the iPhone’s Health app, rather than on Apple’s top 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 AI respond using data collected by their wearables.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about Apple’s plans: back in April 2023, I reported that Apple was supposedly developing an AI-powered fitness trainer, codenamed Quartz.
The AI trainer was said to be capable of tracking emotions through the Apple Watch, although we haven’t heard anything about its functionality since. It’s likely that now that the launch of Apple Intelligence is in full swing, we could see a first version of this functionality in September 2025, alongside the iPhone 17.
Analysis: Is it still a bad idea?
AI seemed to be in its infancy a couple of years ago, and I wrote about an AI fitness trainer’s perspective with some trepidation. I was afraid it would give me hallucinations, offer useless or downright dangerous training ideas, and health advice that hadn’t been vetted by an expert. In many ways, I still am.
However, after seeing AI infest every corner of the tech world and testing several dedicated services like the Oura Advisor chatbot available with Oura Ring 4, I am convinced that this is simply the path the industry will take and that they will take measures. Steps have been taken to ensure that the software is safe to use.
I’m not convinced they’re all that useful, especially for seasoned exercisers, but I can see the potential: for example, recommending workouts from Apple’s Fitness+ service and modifying recommended bedtime suggestions based on your sleep habits, all wrapped up in a welcoming language. like Strava’s encouraging Athlete Intelligence feature.
