Apple Scales Back AI Health Coach Plans, Will Roll Out Features in Health App Over Time
Apple has wound down its code-named Mulberry project for an AI virtual health coach.
Apple Inc. is reportedly scaling back its ambitious plans for a new artificial intelligence-based health coach service that had been in development as part of a broader overhaul of its Health app, according to people familiar with the matter. The move marks a strategic shift for the company as it reassesses how to bring advanced wellness-oriented features to its users.
The initiative, internally referred to as Project Mulberry or “Health+,” was envisioned as a virtual AI health coach that would provide personalized guidance on nutrition, fitness, sleep and other wellness metrics by analysing data from a user’s iPhone and Apple Watch. Early plans reportedly included educational video content created with the help of medical professionals and a more interactive health experience than Apple’s current offerings.
According to Bloomberg, the company has recently scaled back these plans amid internal leadership changes and strategic realignment within its health and artificial intelligence divisions. Instead of launching a single, comprehensive service, Apple now plans to release many of the individual features it had developed incrementally within the existing Apple Health app ecosystem.
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The shift follows broader organisational changes at Apple’s health unit, including the retirement of longtime operations chief Jeff Williams and a reorganisation under Services head Eddy Cue. People familiar with Apple’s thinking told Bloomberg that Cue questioned whether the original health coach concept would be sufficiently differentiated or competitive compared with offerings from other wellness and wearable tech companies.
Despite the reported scaling back, some components of the project may still appear in future software updates. Rumours suggest Apple could integrate basic AI health insights and chat-based interactions, and allow more advanced queries through its revamped Siri and Apple Intelligence platforms over time.
Industry analysts say the decision reflects the complexity of deploying clinically relevant AI features at scale, especially in an area as sensitive as health advice. By breaking developments into smaller releases, Apple appears to be prioritising stability and user safety while maintaining a foothold in the rapidly evolving market for AI-powered wellness tools.
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