Apple is curtailing plans to offer an AI-powered virtual health coach, Bloomberg reported.
The tech giant had for years been developing the service, internally called Health+, which would have melded data from Apple Watches and external lab results to create health reports and AI-powered wellness recommendations for customers, people familiar with the matter told the news outlet. The company still intends to produce health-and-wellness video content and generate suggestions based on existing Health App information.
Apple’s shift comes amid increased competition in the burgeoning wearables market from startups like Oura and Whoop, as well as Samsung Electronics, and compelling digital health offerings from OpenAI and fitness-tracking company Strava, according to the Feb. 5 story. The tech giant continues to build other health features, including an AI chatbot, enhanced capabilities for Siri, an iPhone camera component to analyze walking patterns, and a noninvasive glucose sensor.
Apple declined to comment to Bloomberg, while Becker’s also reached out to the company.
