What you need to know
- Google Health has provided an update on Fitbit Labs at The Checkup 2024 event.
- Fitbit Labs will use a Personal Health Large Language Model to help users understand their data better.
- The feature is set to become available later this year to a limited number of Android users.
Fitbit Labs was first teased to us at the Pixel Watch 2 launch event in 2023. Now, we have a few more insights into what Fitbit Labs has to offer and who stands to benefit from it.
At the recent Google Health The Checkup event (as per 9to5 Google), it was revealed that users who are eligible to try Fitbit Labs will be able to test a variety of AI features. Most notable is the introduction of an AI-powered chatbot that aims to give users the ability to better understand the data collected by their Fitbits by using a “freeform chat space.”
According to Florence Thng, Google Director of Product: “Our users want tools to help them connect the dots within their health data so that they can better understand their personal health metrics.” In turn, the hope is that this can be turned into actionable advice for users, “where you have access to an on-demand personal coach that can provide you with daily guidance.”
The chatbot itself is powered by a Personal Health Large Language Model that’s being developed by Google Research and Fitbit. The AI is a “fine-tuned version of our Gemini model…using high-quality research case studies."
Examples of how this could help users included analyzing variations in sleep patterns and quality before making recommendations on the intensity or timing of your next workout, as well as providing more tailored insights around metrics such as heart rate variability, resting heart rate, and exercise intensity.
Google confirmed that it will be sharing more research “soon,” which should allow users to better understand how the model is built and how accurate the results are likely to be.
It was also confirmed that Fitbit Labs features will be “available for testing for a limited number of Android users who are enrolled in the Fitbit Labs program in the mobile app.” At this stage, it's unclear exactly which eligible Android users will be given priority to test these new features. Fitbit Labs will be available to that select group of users “later this year.”
