Apple is planning a major overhaul of its Health app in what would be one of the biggest updates to the app. The company is also introducing an AI doctor to the app as part of the update. The project, internally codenamed Project Mulberry, will arrive with iOS 19.4 next spring.
It’s no secret that Apple has great ambitions for health care. Tim Cook once stated that the company’s biggest social contributions will be in the health area. Now, the tech giant wants to get one step closer to that dream by bringing an AI coach that would replicate your doctor to the Health app. The news of the planned overhaul was shared by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg.
A Redesigned Health App with an AI Doctor
While Apple hasn’t had the smoothest relationship with AI till now, the company is going full steam ahead with the development of this feature. They have even roped in resources from other departments, including the artificial intelligence team.
According to Gurman, the Health app will continue collecting data from different sources, like Apple Watch, third-party apps, etc., to feed to the AI Doctor. The AI agent would then give you health recommendations based on that data. The new Health app will also add options for food tracking, something Apple has generally avoided till now.
One of the new features of the app will also reportedly include access to cameras. This would allow the AI agent to study your workouts and give you tips for improvements.
Apple is currently training the AI Doctor with the help of physicians on staff. The company is also reportedly looking to bring in outside experts in sleep, nutrition, physical therapy, mental health, and cardiology who will help them create videos. The videos will serve as explainers for certain health conditions and will appear according to the data in your Health app, according to Gurman.
For instance, if the Health app receives data about poor heart-rate trends, a video explaining the risks of heart disease could appear.
Apple is also reportedly opening a new facility near Oakland, California, where the team would shoot the content. Gurman says that many inside the company are calling the service Health+. This suggests that perhaps access to the AI Doctor might be a part of a subscription service.
Apple’s AI Doctor: Is It Viable?
While the addition of an AI Doctor to the Health app does sound interesting, I cannot help but feel cautious. Generally, when it comes to sharing such sensitive data with AI, there are privacy concerns. Thankfully, with Apple’s approach to privacy, that’s not on the table here.
But something as sensitive as an AI Doctor needs to be implemented with great responsibility. This is people’s health we’re talking about. AI’s limitations in accuracy and bias could lead to incorrect recommendations, potentially delaying real medical intervention. We must also consider how adaptable this AI Doctor will be across different medical conditions. While AI excels at pattern recognition, the nuances of human health require a level of critical thinking that AI still struggles with.
And Apple’s recent troubles with Apple Intelligence don’t inspire a lot of confidence in its other forays into AI. Now, I don’t doubt that Apple will ship something as sensitive as this when it isn’t completely ready. Even though the tech giant shipped half-baked Apple Intelligence updates, I can’t imagine them rolling that dice here.
But I do have reservations about whether the company has the technology to implement something like this. Or at least, will they have it ready by next year to ship it in iOS 19.4? Or will it be another case of delays and Apple overpromising and underdelivering all over again? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Source: Beebom