Fitbit to give users a chatbot to interact with and answer questions

Having a gym buddy is cool, and having a personal trainer is splendid, but the former is not guaranteed to be with you at all times, and the latter can be costly. Enter Fitbit’s AI chatbot that will provide you with companionship and training insights!

James Park, co-founder and CEO of Fitbit, teased at the recent Made by Google event something fascinating – the health and wellness company is working on a new line of “Fitbit Labs” features (via 9to5Google). These laboratory-dubbed features are to deliver helpful, relevant and detailed feedback on your workouts using generative artificial intelligence (AI).

Basically, the “Fitbit Labs” features will use data from the Fitbit device you’re operating (remains to be highlighted which Fitbit wearables will support the newly announced AI goodies) and will summarize it in a chatbot-like conversation.

James Park showcased the soon-to-come AI capabilities with a single example. He asked the Fitbit AI feature why his most recent run felt “harder than usual” compared to previous runs.

In order to give an exhaustive answer, the chatbot investigated his full workout and wellness profile. First, the AI pointed out that the workout was indeed more strenuous with a higher average heart rate than usual. Next, the (sort of) self-aware AI feature highlighted that Park hasn’t been getting enough sleep, so his recent downward trend in sleep quality made an impact. Finally, last time’s run path was more inclined than his usual route.

“Climbing those hills may have made this run feel harder, but that’s okay, you put in a great effort!”, says the chatbot at the end of its investigation. If it turns out that the upcoming AI features are not very precise initially, that’s okay – at least the chatbot has a way with humans and it’s polite.

The suite of Fitbit Labs features will initially only be available to “trusted testers,” with Park noting that priority will be given to owners of Pixel devices.