Apple’s taking a big step forward in health tech with its new AI-driven initiative, ‘Project Mulberry.’ This project is set to revolutionize how we manage personal health, using artificial intelligence to make it all happen. Bloomberg News reports that this effort builds on Apple’s earlier ‘Project Quartz,’ which was all about using AI for health coaching to improve your exercise, diet, and sleep habits. We might see this new project roll out with Apple’s iOS 19.4 update, possibly in the spring or summer of 2025.
The way it works is pretty straightforward. The Health app will gather data from your devices, letting an AI coach give you personalized health advice. Apple’s bringing in the expertise of both internal and external medical professionals—think specialists in sleep, nutrition, and cardiology—to create comprehensive video guides on a variety of health topics.
One of the standout features is going to be food tracking. Up until now, Apple hasn’t really delved into this area, but that’s about to change. This move puts Apple in direct competition with platforms like MyFitnessPal and Noom, which have been leaders in this space.
Apple’s had its share of challenges, like when it had to remove a blood oxygen monitoring feature from its smartwatch due to a patent dispute with Masimo. But they’re not backing down. They’re committed to expanding their health capabilities.
In related news, there’s a report from PYMNTS Intelligence highlighting a surge in investments in generative AI (GenAI) by major healthcare firms. This report, based on surveys of executives from companies with over $1 billion in annual revenue, shows strong confidence in GenAI’s potential. In fact, 90% of these executives expect positive returns on their investments, which is why these firms plan to boost their GenAI spending. Healthcare is positioning itself as a leader in adopting this technology.
