Dear Apple, please don’t destroy the Health app by pressing the Siri button on it

Apple is reportedly preparing a new health app for next year, and it will likely be dropped alongside Siri’s long-awaited makeover. The combo can be made last Apple watch Feel truly hands-free, with Siri more deeply integrated into your daily health tracking. But the biggest test for Apple won’t be features: it will be finding the right balance. One wrong move, and an update could do more harm than good.

As someone who had a front row seat to the AI ​​health coach craze, I’m confused as to whether Apple needs a seat at all. In their race to keep up with other companies (and Google), they risk losing what always sets them apart: privacy and simplicity. Apple’s next move could define its place in the health AI race, and I hope it ends up being more than just a Siri icon pinned to the Health app.

last week, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg Apple could reportedly be close to a $1 billion deal with Google to use a customized version of Gemini AI to enhance Siri. The company has lost top AI engineers to Meta and other big spenders, and building its own system may not be realistic. Collaborating with Google may be an expensive gamble, but Apple knows it must either keep up or risk being left behind.

Multiple reports (incl Gorman) also reports that Apple is working on a redesigned Health app under the codename Project Mulberry. The rumored “Health Plus” service will rely heavily on AI (and perhaps a new Siri) to create a more cohesive health experience, turning the flow of biometric data from the Apple Watch and other connected devices into actionable insights, similar to the new service. trainer feature Google recently appeared first on Fitbit.

Apple appears to have reached a critical pivot point when it comes to artificial intelligence, one that could have lasting implications for its health ambitions. On the one hand, it needs to prove to investors that it can keep up with competitors like Fitbit (Google), Ora, and others that offer concierge-style AI chatbots to analyze health data. On the other hand, none of these early examples showed a real use case that would make them indispensable to people. Apple’s execution and timing could ultimately make or break consumer trust in the brand.

Landscape

There is no stopping the wave of artificial intelligence. Previously, it mostly ran in the background — triggering passive alerts, like irregular heart rate notifications, or automatically detecting when you started running. Now, it’s moving front and center, ready for people to interact with it live on phone Or watch via voice commands.

Android phones Gemini have been equipped with a camera-powered Google Lens feature that can analyze the world around them, while Apple has relied on ChatGPT for some Apple Intelligence features on the iPhone. Google recently launched Gemini on Wear OS watches, adding natural language capabilities to the wrist. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that it infringed Ziff Davis’s copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

On the health front, the holy grail that tech companies seem to be aiming for is a one-stop concierge service that ties all your device data together and turns it into actionable feedback that actually improves your health.

Google jumped in early by redesigning the Fitbit app in October. The new Gemini-powered Fitbit Coach (which is still in beta) can set up personal training regimens, diet plans, and sleep schedules. Oura’s “Advisor” offers similar guidance, translating your data into plain-language insights. Garmin and Samsung are already pushing AI-powered coaches that promise to get you race-ready. And it looks like Meta is starting to make that happen with Oakley’s AI glasses that can leverage Strava or Garmin metrics to guide you in real time.

It’s too early to tell if these AI trainers will actually deliver on their promises. Fitbit is still months away from prime time, while others are barely out of beta. But after testing a lot of them, I can tell you this much: They’re going to have to show real value before anyone will trust them with their health data.

How Apple fits into the equation

Apple hasn’t been completely idle on the AI ​​front; If anything, he was cautious and calculated. Some of the Watch’s most impactful health features, like irregular heartbeat notifications, sleep apnea detection, high blood pressure alerts, and fall detection, all use AI, and in many cases have changed the lives of Apple Watch owners.

The key isn’t just the AI ​​itself; People don’t have to remember to use it to reap the benefits. Most of these features run in the background and only appear when something is broken and needs your attention. This simplicity is what makes it so effective, and adding a prominent AI component for people to interact with can be more confusing than helpful. Anyone who has used a chatbot that relies on a large language model knows that how you phrase a question can be the difference between a useful insight and a pile of hallucinations. Apple’s approach works because it anticipates what you need before you even think about asking it.

with WatchOS 26 (Paired with Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhones), Apple also launched an AI-powered device for the first time Workout buddy. While it’s technically more of a fan that provides real-time motivational feedback during workouts, it gives positive feedback to the “coach,” and I don’t think it’s far-fetched to see it as Apple’s proving ground for a full-fledged health coach in the future.

As a working mother of three, I was skeptical about adding an exercise buddy to my routine. Micro-practices are all I can manage, and I need less of a cheerleader and more of a drill sergeant to make sure I’m squeezing every drop out of the 25-minute window I’ve carved out of my day. But after testing it for a while, I’m starting to get a sense of where Apple might be headed.

Everything, from the voice and inflection to the timing of the comments, seemed spontaneous and (for the most part) unscripted. It was much less annoying than the canned automated prompts I’ve learned to set on other devices. And if this is what Apple envisions for “Health Siri” in the future, perhaps this friend will eventually be able to achieve coach status in my book.

Poor way forward

Apple is walking a tightrope with artificial intelligence. Play too safe and you may risk arriving late to the game; Move too fast and can get stuck badly.

Privacy could pose the biggest risk, not just to Apple, but to everyone in the industry. Asking Gemini to write an email or ChatGPT to summarize an article is one thing, but giving it access to your health data is a whole new HIPAA nightmare.

The disclaimers I had to wade through while setting up Meta’s Oakley glasses were enough to make me sweat (from anxiety, not heart disease), and the idea that my Garmin data might be used to “optimize” some models would have been a deal-breaker if testing them wasn’t part of my job.

Apple’s commitment to privacy and on-device processing is one of the reasons I trust its Health app with everything, including hospital health records. Do I want to use the same data to train future models? Absolutely not. Would I feel comfortable handing it over to Siri in Gemini? Honestly, I’m not sure. Apple will have a lot of convincing to do on this front to convince me to join.

When it comes to Apple’s Health Plus ambitions, a simple Siri icon at the bottom of the app for Apple Watch owners to interact with won’t do the trick. For Apple to really stand out in this space, it needs to put on blinders and double down on what it does best: drawing meaningful connections to people in ways they didn’t know they needed. Instead of relying on me (or someone else) to craft cleverly written prompts about important metrics, how about using a coach to proactively tick off the suggestions and draw those connections for me.

Most importantly, build privacy scaffolds first before you approach my health records. Because this is the only type of AI “coach” I have ever allowed into my life.