Google Teams Up with Tech Rivals

Google is making a push to become a leading player in the AI health market, with a new strategy that involves working with rival companies like Apple. The tech giant announced a series of health updates on Thursday, including a new Google Health app that features an AI coach powered by the company’s Gemini models. This move is part of Google’s effort to expand its presence in the health space, particularly in the area of online health services.

The AI coach is designed to provide users with personalized fitness plans, summaries of their health records, and answers to questions about their medical data. Google is betting that this feature will attract users who own Apple Watches, Oura rings, and Garmin watches, as well as those who don’t own a health tracker at all. They are focused on providing a comprehensive health service that meets the needs of various users.

Google lags behind Apple, Samsung, and Chinese tech giants Xiaomi and Huawei in the global wearable tech market, according to market research firm International Data Corporation. However, the company is more focused on competing with OpenAI and Microsoft in the health space than dominating the smartwatch market. The researchers at Google Health are working to develop innovative solutions that will give them a competitive edge.

“An athlete today has a whole team doing this…They have a nutritionist, they have a sleep coach, they have a fitness trainer,” said Rishi Chandra, general manager of Google Health. “Why can’t all of us have that equivalent? And that’s really what the health coach is all about.” The team at Google Health believes that their AI coach can provide similar benefits to users.

Some health institutions, like the Mayo Clinic and the Duke University School of Medicine, have warned that AI can be inaccurate and lack the ability to reason and run tests like a medical professional. Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft have said their products aren’t intended for medical use or to replace doctors. Instead, they are designed to provide users with useful information and guidance, such as how to contact health professionals remotely.

Google’s AI Health Coach

The Google Health app will update the Fitbit app starting May 19, and will include Google’s AI Health Coach, which will provide summaries of health records, personalized weekly fitness plans, and a chatbot that can answer questions about a user’s fitness and medical data. It will also help users understand their health trends and provide recommendations for improvement, which may include visiting an orthopedic doctor for specialized care.

The app will also notice trends in a person’s sleep and workouts and summarize them, such as flagging that a user’s 4-mile run contributed to their weekly 20-mile goal. Many features will require a Google Health Premium subscription, which is separate from Google’s other paid AI plans. They are offering this service to provide users with more advanced health tracking and analysis capabilities.

Integration with Other Devices

Google is actively looking at how to integrate its AI health coach with tools for sharing health data between different apps. This could help put the tech giant at the forefront of how consumers use AI for healthcare research and advice. The company wants to make it easy for users to access and manage their health data across different devices and platforms.

“We want to meet users where they are,” said Chandra. “People who love their Apple Watch: Great, that’s fine. Let’s go work with you.” Google is committed to providing a seamless and integrated health service that meets the needs of its users.

One in four US adults said they use AI for healthcare research or advice, often before or after a doctor’s visit, according to an April survey from the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America. The competition in the AI health market is heating up, with Samsung, Oura, and Whoop all adding AI-generated observations and tips to their apps in recent years. Reporters note that this trend is likely to continue as more companies enter the AI health market.

Microsoft took a similar approach as Google in March and launched Copilot Health, which uses AI to spot trends in data from wearable devices and health records. OpenAI in January introduced ChatGPT Health, a part of the app that connects medical records and data from wellness apps. According to the filing, these developments are expected to have a significant impact on the AI health market in the coming years.