Samsung on Tuesday released a beta version of its artificial intelligence-powered personal health assistant.
The new AI assistant, called Samsung Health Assistant, is built into the Samsung Health app and is now available to eligible users across the United States. It allows users to ask health questions and receive personalized guidance and recommendations through its “unique knowledge base.” Executives said the insights were verified by a team of doctors and certified health coaches.
“Our new health assistant advances Samsung’s vision for connected care by giving users a deeper understanding of their mind and body through daily health monitoring and increasing opportunities for early detection,” Hong Park, M.D., senior vice president and head of the digital health team at Samsung Electronics, said in a statement.
The AI assistant connects health information using Samsung Health’s “Five Core Pillars of Health”: sleep, activity, nutrition, mindfulness, and vitals.
The tech giant previously announced plans to launch the tool in August. This is a major push to bring AI-powered medical guidance into consumers’ homes, a Samsung executive said in August.
This is part of a broader effort by Samsung to move deeper into healthcare. It acquired digital health platform Xealth last July and recently announced partnerships with Lark Health and Neuroscape.
The company said the acquisition of Xealth will connect “everyday health data” to “clinical care” and accelerate its ability to connect health insights with users’ consent to care teams. Samsung executives said the acquisition strengthens the company’s efforts to integrate data from wearables and devices into clinical workflows and electronic medical records.
Smartphone with Samsung Health Assistant simulation
Samsung Health Assistant (Samsung)
“By leveraging our ecosystem and partnerships, we aim to understand health holistically, drive real-world actions, help users build healthier habits, and make real changes in their lives,” Park said.
Although doctors see patients only a few times a year, patients make medical and lifestyle decisions every day. Park said in an August interview that technology can help bridge that gap. “Care becomes actionable as a nudge through a watch or a health AI coach,” he said.
Future features of the AI health assistant will include coaching and personalized responses and recommendations to help users achieve their health goals.
