Apple wants to change how you think about your health. Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, believes his company’s biggest impact on the world won’t be iPhones or watches, it’ll be healthcare. Now, we’re finally getting a glimpse of how that might happen with Project Mulberry. According to Bloomberg, it is an AI-powered upgrade to the Apple Health app that could bring an AI doctor right to your phone.
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What is Project Mulberry
Project Mulberry is Apple’s secret plan to turn the Health app from a simple data tracker into a personal health assistant. This project has been in the works for years. It was previously called Project Quartz but has evolved as more teams at Apple got involved, especially those working on artificial intelligence. If the latest reports are accurate, we might see it launch with iOS 19.4 sometime next year.
How Project Mulberry Will Change Your Health App
Right now, the Health app mostly collects data. It tracks your steps, monitors your heart rate, and records sleep patterns, but it doesn’t do much beyond that. Project Mulberry will add an AI health coach that analyzes your data and gives you personalized advice.
Let’s say you’ve been sleeping poorly all week. Your current Health app just shows you a graph. With Project Mulberry, your AI coach might notice the pattern and suggest adjusting your bedtime based on when you’ve slept best in the past. It could even show you a short video on sleep hygiene as per your specific habits.
Apple’s Journey into Health Tech
Apple has been trying to break into the health space for years, but it hasn’t always been easy. Take their work on a non-invasive glucose monitor, a sensor for the Apple Watch that could warn users if they are at risk for diabetes. They have been working on it for over 15 years.
While they have made progress, that feature is still years away from being ready. Moreover, Apple had other struggles, too. Their blood oxygen sensor was pulled from the Apple Watch due to patent issues, and they still haven’t cracked reliable blood pressure monitoring.
Project Mulberry is a shift in strategy. Instead of relying on new hardware, Apple is using AI and software to make an impact.
The AI Doctor in Project Mulberry
The real star of Project Mulberry is its AI health coach, which is being trained using data from doctors at Apple. Apple is also bringing in outside experts in sleep, nutrition, physical therapy, mental health, and heart health to create educational content.
Apple is even building a facility near Oakland, California, where doctors will record videos for the app. They’re reportedly looking for a well-known doctor to be the face of the service, which some Apple employees are calling “Health+.”
Imagine you’re on your morning jog, and your Apple Watch detects that you’re pushing yourself too hard. Later that day, your AI health coach might suggest a video from a cardiologist explaining how to find the right running pace based on your fitness level.
Key Features of Apple Project Mulberry
1. Food Tracking
Project Mulberry will make tracking what you eat a major focus. The current Health app lets you enter basic info like carbs and caffeine, but the new version will compete with dedicated apps like MyFitnessPal and Noom.
The AI health coach will help you understand your nutrition better and make smarter food choices based on your health data and goals. This could be huge for people trying to manage their weight or improve their diet.
2. Camera-Powered Workout Analysis
Project Mulberry will also use your iPhone’s camera in clever new ways. The AI could watch your workouts through the camera and suggest improvements to your form or technique.
This feature might eventually connect with Apple Fitness+, making their workout service even more interactive and personalized. Imagine doing yoga and having your phone gently correct your pose!
The Team Behind Project Mulberry
Project Mulberry is led by Dr. Sumbul Desai, the head of Apple’s health team, and Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. It’s currently the main focus of Apple’s health division.
Dr. Desai is determined to make sure Project Mulberry succeeds where previous Apple health initiatives have struggled. Apple once tried launching a service that connected users with doctors for quick consultations, but it never took off. With Project Mulberry, they’re taking a different approach, using AI to provide useful advice without needing a direct connection to a doctor.
Will Project Mulberry Replace Real Doctors?
As per my thoughts, Project Mulberry can only “replicate” doctors to some extent, but it won’t truly replace medical professionals. The AI health coach will make recommendations based on your data and provide educational resources, but it can’t diagnose serious conditions or prescribe medications.
Think of Project Mulberry more as a smart health assistant that can spot potential issues and guide you toward better habits. For anything serious, you’ll still need to visit a real doctor.
However, if Apple launches Project Mulberry successfully, apps like MyFitnessPal, Noom, and other health trackers might be in trouble. Why use separate apps when your iPhone has a built-in AI health coach?
The Future of AI and Health at Apple
Project Mulberry shows that Apple is serious about combining AI and health technology. If this works, we might see even more advanced features in the future – maybe the AI health coach will eventually connect with that glucose monitor they’ve been working on for 15 years!
As Apple develops more health sensors and collects more types of data, the AI coach could become even smarter and more helpful. Project Mulberry might just be the beginning of Apple’s AI health revolution.
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