Apple Reportedly Developing AI Agent ‘Doctors’ in Latest Health Push
Apple is reportedly working on an artificial intelligence (AI) agent that can dispense health advice.
It’s all part of what the company has dubbed “Project Mulberry,” Apple’s latest — and perhaps strongest — push into the health field, Bloomberg News reported Sunday (March 30).
According to that report, this project is an interaction of an earlier effort called “Project Quartz,” a health coaching service that would deploy AI to help users exercise, develop healthier eating and sleeping habits.
Now, the project has ramped up development, the Bloomberg report said, with release possible as soon as Apple releases its iOS 19.4 operating system update, something that could happen in spring or summer of 2025.
The idea, the report said, is to have the Health app collect data from devices, with the AI coach then offering users tailored recommendations on improving their health based on that data.
Apple is also training an AI agent using data from doctors it has on staff, but is also looking to recruit outside doctors — such as experts in sleep, nutrition, physical therapy, mental health and cardiology — to create video explainers about different health conditions.
The revamped app will also have a major focus on food tracking, an area that — per the Bloomberg report — Apple has mostly shied away from. Such a move would mean going head-to-head with companies like MyFitnessPal and Noom, the report added.
As Bloomberg noted, Apple’s health efforts have run into roadblocks in the past. For example, the company last year decided to remove a blood oxygen feature from its smartwatch following a yearslong patent dispute with medical technology firm Masimo.
In other news from the intersection of AI and healthcare, a new PYMNTS Intelligence report — “Healthcare Firms Going Long on GenAI Investment” — finds that investments in this technology are yielding returns, leading to a wave of additional adoption by major players.
The report is based on surveys of C-suite executives at healthcare firms with at least $1 billion in yearly revenue, with the goal of understanding their generative AI (GenAI) strategies.
“The findings indicate a strong conviction in the technology’s potential, with 9 in 10 executives anticipating a positive return on their GenAI investments,” PYMNTS wrote.
“Consequently, a majority of these leaders plan to further escalate their GenAI spending in the coming year, placing healthcare ahead of the cross-industry average in its bullish outlook.
The report highlights the strategic prioritization of GenAI in crucial operational areas as businesses strive to stay competitive.
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