Google wants to be your go-to fitness coach and wellness adviser… even if you have an Apple Watch.
The tech giant announced a slew of health updates on Thursday that put its AI coach front and center, part of a broader strategy to compete with OpenAI, Microsoft and a wave of other tech companies racing to dominate how people learn about their health.
For Google, expanding beyond its existing customer base of Fitbit and Pixel Watch owners is key. It’s betting the AI health assistant in its new Google Health app, announced Thursday, will lure Apple Watch, Oura ring and Garmin watch users, along with those who don’t own a health tracker at all.
Google lags behind Apple, Samsung, and Chinese tech giants Xiaomi and Huawei in the global wearable tech market, according to market research firm International Data Corporation. But the latest updates suggest Google is more focused on competing with OpenAI and Microsoft in health than dominating the smartwatch market. In the AI race, consumers are increasingly turning to ChatGPT for health questions.
“An athlete today has a whole team doing this…They have a nutritionist, they have a sleep coach, they have a fitness trainer,” said Rishi Chandra, general manager of Google Health. “Why can’t all of us have that equivalent? And that’s really what the health coach is all about.”
