Apple Pursues AI-Powered Health Coaching Service and Emotion Tracking Features

Apple has ambitious plans in the health tech arena, as it sets sights on developing an AI-driven health coaching service, code-named Quartz, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The service plans to utilize artificial intelligence along with data from users' Apple Watches to develop tailored coaching programs, encouraging healthier lifestyles in exercise, diet, and sleep habits. Like its other successful services, the health coaching program is anticipated to carry a monthly fee.

Multiple teams within Apple, including those dedicated to health, Siri, and artificial intelligence, are collaborating on this project. Gurman reveals that Quartz is slated for next year's launch, but he also cautioned that this ambitious project could face delays or even be abandoned completely.

Furthermore, Apple is working on integrating emotion tracking features into its Health app, which will also cater to managing vision conditions such as nearsightedness. The initial version of the emotion tracker will enable users to log their moods and provide responses to questions regarding their day, with performance comparison over time. The long-term vision for the mood tracker encompasses leveraging algorithms to understand users' emotions based on speech, texts, and other data inputs.

Apple plans to introduce a Health app specifically designed for iPad at the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. This will allow for improved user experiences, enabling health data such as electrocardiogram results to be viewed on a larger screen. The iPad Health app is expected to ship with iPadOS 17, which is due for launch later this year.

Apple's health initiatives trace back to 2014, beginning with the launch of a dedicated Health app and the debut of the Apple Watch a year later. Since then, the company has continuously introduced various health features to its devices, including fall detection, sleep tracking, and integration with platforms like the AppMaster no-code tool for creating backend, web, and mobile applications.

Beyond these endeavors, Apple is working on expanding health capabilities in its Apple Watch by introducing a basic form of blood pressure monitoring within the coming years. Despite not providing exact diastolic and systolic numbers, the watch would alert users in cases of potential hypertension. The tech giant is also developing noninvasive glucose monitoring technology, which aims to replace traditional finger pricks with a sensor-based approach. Initially expected in a standalone device, Apple eventually plans to incorporate such technology into its Apple Watches.

In a broader perspective, this progress in health tech further positions Apple as a trendsetter in fields beyond personal computing and smartphones, taking advantage of advancements in AI and data to usher in a new era of personalized health and wellness.