Artificial Intelligence To Keep You Fit

Artificial Intelligence (AI) - once a concept, after few practical applications - has now become a reality. Today, AI applications play an important part in many business operations. However, the greatest impact of AI can be seen in the health care business. Be it predictive analysis, chatbots or speech recognition system, AI has been successful in creating its firm footing.

Another area where AI impact can be seen is preventive healthcare. The AI systems alert the users of the potential conditions early enough so they can go in for accurate diagnosis and treatment. Today, any smartphone user can download a fitness app in his/her phone to keep a tap on the calories consumed, blood pressure rate or can even avail suggestions for the best workout, etc. Initially, startups like HealthifyMe, GoQii, and Cure.Fit hired fitness experts and dieticians to scan the pictures and draw out conclusions manually.

However, now, the whole of the processing is automated through AI. The AI systems are infinitely scalable. They prove to be more accurate and are considered better than humans in identifying the patterns and making predictions.

Apart from merely providing suggestions through phone apps, there are also wearables available in the market, which can easily monitor blood pressure, heart rate, count on the walk steps, etc. Thus, making live various health lifestyle conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity.

The AI-based technologies take into account thousands of parameters and data sets. The digital fitness services available in the market use this data along with AI to draw predictions and warn people of catastrophic health condition down the line. The abundance of data captured through these new-age technologies has become a key in preventive healthcare.

Max Bupa Health Insurance, a standalone health insurance company, recently partnered with GoQii to let its customers avail low premium insurance plans based on their health data.

No doubt AI is playing a pivotal role in preventive healthcare but is still far from prescriptive services such as nudging users to eat healthy, workout more often and suggesting a visit to a doctor. AI replacing the need for a doctor for the most basic diagnosis is still far in the future.

The AI systems need to be trained and customised to a large extent to make an impact in healthcare at a scale. While there's still a lot of work and research needs to be done in AI, the health care systems are quickly keeping up to offer seamless and engaging services to the customers.