From AI-powered fitness tracking to stress management tools, smart technology is taking off in almost every corner of the wellbeing space. But does it work to the advantage of the user? We take a look at where AI excels, where it falls short, and which tools are most worthy of your time.

AI is everywhere in the name of ‘progress’, from the moment we wake up to when we sleep. Whether through our phones or daily planning, some form of AI is almost always at play.

"AI models consider a wide range of factors, including genetics, environmental, lifestyle, and social determinants of health." —  Journal of Medicine, Surgery, and Public Health 

Therefore it comes as no surprise that AI is a prominent force in the design of wellbeing tech. From the proponents to the sceptics, join us as we provide a balanced view on the most likely outcomes it will have for our health and happiness.

Perhaps the biggest leap forward is that of personalisation. Personalisation is present with every update for functions such as apps, wearable devices and beyond. It can offer emotional support delivered instantly, as well as personalised interventions which make the technology in question more accessible to the user.

Significant strides have been made in terms of using AI to benefit both mental and physical health. Programs can now assess things like speech, text, and facial expression, all to pick up on the nuanced progression of a person’s mental health.

AI paints a similar picture for our physical health via smart technology including tele-exercise , offering solutions that are personalised and adaptive, and which cater for a wider range of individual preferences and needs to generate personal exercise and physical wellbeing plans thought to maximise long-term health.

On the flipside, questions remain about its accuracy, long-term impact, and ethical concerns. 

Amidst all the positives, there is an underlying scepticism in some crucial areas such as data privacy, the limits of AI and the capacity of AI to accurately predict behavioural change in the user for the best possible outcomes.

Who owns the information on health parameters in AI tech?

With AI’s ability to analyse personal habits, there’s understandable interest in how data is managed and protected, and it forms a big part of the discussion on AI use for wellbeing.

What does Healf do to provide relatable products?

The AI-powered wellbeing tools available at Healf are curated, crucially, with user privacy in mind. Many of these products, such as Sens.ai focus on local data processing rather than cloud-based storage, and Apollo Neuro , as another example, promises data security procedures in alignment with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), significantly reducing concerns about external data sharing.

Does AI have judgement limits?

Despite the impressive claims, a lot of the emerging technology available may not have the capacity to completely replace human expertise and judgement, it can also in some cases, be open to algorithm bias . It is for this reason, many companies still use a disclaimer to that effect.

While it's true that AI cannot fully replace human expertise and judgment in healthcare as of yet, Healf addresses this limitation by meticulously selecting AI-powered tools. As such, they are intended to complement professional medical advice.

So, on the plus side, AI can be framed in a way that makes total sense to the user. One study found that AI features such as chatbots were useful in encouraging regular physical activity and keeping users motivated . Personalised insights are a useful function to support in areas such as fitness tracking parameters, stress management, and sleep improvement.

Data is documented to enhance the clarity of the sum of your efforts, as well as hinting at where you can improve, and of course, a mental reminder to stay accountable for your vital health goals every day.

‘Gamification is an emerging component of AI-driven physical activity solutions… Users are more likely to engage in sustained exercise when AI provides real-time feedback and performance-based incentives’ —  Human Factors   

There is plenty of research indicating success for AI to help us maintain our accountability for our goals. In fact, AI for this purpose extends beyond a time frame most people associate with AI, stemming from the health field's inception with AI as early as the 1960s . However, the fact that AI could have some success in helping us achieve health goals should not be made into a sweeping statement.

For those in favour, the fact that AI uses tactics including predictive analytics, and adaptive support to provide helpful analysis and suggestions, is definitely a draw.

Is AI in personalised health more than just a trend?

Instead of one-size-fits-all recommendations, AI-driven wellness tools learn from individual habits, biometrics, and responses.

• Adaptive fitness and recovery  – AI analyses movement patterns, heart rate, and muscle strain to tailor workouts and recovery plans, and adjusting based on progress. Wearables like WHOOP Fitness Tracker provide recovery-focused insights at the cutting edge.

• Smart nutrition – Through tracking metabolic responses to food, smart nutrition services are offering real-time dietary recommendations based on blood sugar levels combined with other relevant factors such as activity patterns. Consider Ultrahuman for glucose tracking  and support in precision nutrition planning.

• Sleep and stress monitoring – AI tracks sleep cycles, stress levels, and nervous system activity, offering actionable points from which to improve rest and relaxation. Some tools, like Muse S Headband , even monitor brainwave activity to support deeper sleep.

• Predictive health insights – Biometric data may identify early warning signs of potential health risks and allow users to make proactive adjustments.

• Adjustments with immediate effect – Unlike wellbeing plans you receive from a professional over various and separate intervals, AI-based health tools continuously adapt to stress, recovery, and environmental factors to remain as responsive to the present moment and as grounded in reality as possible. 
  
  

*Please always consult with your healthcare provider if you are already undergoing treatment, and resolve a way to incorporate AI tracking smoothly alongside their advice.

AI can support better health decisions, but it’s no substitute for intuition, particularly your own intuitive senses. The challenge is knowing which tools genuinely add value and where to place your focus.

Making AI work for you

AI is everywhere, especially in terms of our wellbeing, but its true value lies in the unique ways in which we choose to use it.

As the famous statistic goes “ 95% of diets fail within the first few years ”, showing that behaviour change (not just information) is the real challenge in implementing lasting and sustainable efforts for the good of our health. AI-powered health assistance can track progress, offer reminders, and suggest plans, but it is worth remembering they are only tools.

That said, AI health integrations are designed for seamless integration into daily life, and have shown a great amount of promise in bringing positive change in the wellbeing arena. The key is choosing technology that builds on your habits and harnesses useful data for the most optimised system.

Self Improvement tools at Healf

At Healf, every product we feature has undergone our three-step Discovery, Expert Validation, and Community Testing process , so you can trust that you're choosing from the best. Explore AI wellness with confidence.

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