Apple Revolutionizes Healthcare: AI-Powered Doctor Coming to iOS 19

Apple has been progressively adding features to its products that are more health-focused, including heart rate, ECG, SpO2, and a hearing-aid function. All of this is leading up to the company’s purported plan to develop an AI-powered doctor, with the purpose of sharing health information tailored to you. According to a Bloomberg report covering this news, Apple is working on a new health coach that will be rolled into the Health app on the iPhone so that you can have insights and guidance based on your health data.

The plan, codenamed Project Mulberry, is part of Apple’s larger vision not just to collect data, but to provide health recommendations via, likely, AI. It sets up an advanced health coach, which would be a kind of virtual doctor that would assist the user with fitness, nutrition, and wellbeing. This feature is anticipated to be fully baked into the upcoming iOS 19, and potentially be released as soon as mid-2026.

Apple has been expanding its health-monitoring offerings through wearables like the Apple Watch and AirPods, adding features like ECG capabilities and fall detection support. But Apple is now focused on harnessing artificial intelligence to deliver results-oriented health recommendations instead of just tracking passive data. The AI health coach will make sense of information from the iPhone, Apple Watches, and other accessories to provide suggestions based on heart rate, sleep patterns and activity level.

Subject matter experts including professionals in sleep science, cardiology, nutrition, and mental health will be involved in developing the AI model, according to internal sources. Apple also envisions a wealth of resources and will create educational content from these experts. Internal sources referred to the assistant as "Health+," although it is unknown whether this will be a free or paid addition to the current Health app.

One of the standout features of the revamped Health app is expected to be food tracking, a feature that is notably absent from Apple’s current offerings. This addition will allow users to log meals, with the AI providing insights and suggestions to help improve their dietary choices. Additionally, Apple is likely to enhance the workout experience, with potential features such as using iPhone or iPad cameras to record workout sessions, allowing the AI to analyze and offer feedback to improve exercise techniques.

The redesigned Health app is anticipated to be a central part of Apple's ecosystem, providing users with a more integrated and intelligent health assistant. Through the use of machine learning, the AI will analyze both historical and real-time data, delivering personalized guidance aimed at improving overall well-being. It is also expected to offer video content produced by health experts to educate users on various health-related topics.

However, challenges remain, especially given Apple's previous struggles with AI technology, such as the slow evolution of Siri. While the company has ambitious plans in the health sector, there are doubts about whether users will have to pay for these advanced services, given the likely costs involved in delivering highly accurate and effective health advice.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Sai Sindhuja K/MSM)