Data gained from wearables can be helpful for healthcare and clinical management to understand the full context of one’s health history, believes Myung Jin Chung, director of Samsung’s AI research centre.

He was speaking at a panel organised by the South Korean tech giant, which many commentators believe was a taster for what the Galaxy Watch 7 will feature when it is unveiled in July.

Chung was joined on the panel by Hon Pak, senior vice president at Samsung Electronics, Michael Blum, CEO and co-founder of BeeKeeper AI, and David Klonoff, president of the Diabetes Research Institute at Mills Peninsula Medical Center.

These members of the Samsung Health Advisory Board discussed the future of health and how wearables powered by AI would play a big role in driving the industry forward. They shared insights and perspectives on how Samsung could embrace AI, with a specific focus on the upcoming wearables portfolio.

“Through years of clinical experiences, I’ve learned there is immense value in a comprehensive, 360-degree understanding of a patient’s health history,” said Chung. “However, it can be challenging to fully grasp their lifestyle or key wellness factors, such as sleep patterns or eating habits, especially when treatment is focused on specific symptoms. And AI can assist clinicians by streamlining the management and interpretation of collected information over time, simplifying the process. The future of AI is distilling vital insights from daily life to deliver a deeper understanding of one’s health, based on continuous monitoring by wearables.”

As a cardiologist, Blum said he wanted to add that continuous monitoring was emerging as a vital tool in early detection and prediction of potential disease.

“For instance,” he said, “conditions like atrial fibrillation, which is high risk and high impact, yet manageable through low-intensity interventions, can benefit greatly from such monitoring. Wearing a smartwatch can help us better understand factors that may contribute to it, and Samsung can be hugely impactful here. These tools, powered by AI, can easily turn data into consumable insights and actionable wisdom, empowering individuals to take proactive steps to reduce possible health risks.”

Klonoff encouraged Samsung to embrace AI in its health monitoring technology and continue to lean on its pioneering heritage of innovation to promote behavioural change.

“Through ongoing conversations and collaborative efforts with medical experts, Samsung can help people make the changes in their lives that are needed,” he said. “Leveraging these insights can encourage people to stay healthy over the long term without feeling overwhelmed and enable them to lead more fulfilling and enjoyable lives.”

Blum agreed that technology integrated into people’s lives could be an important step to maintain everyday wellness and help prevent serious health conditions.

“These devices should seamlessly work in the background in an innocuous way, and Samsung has been a clear leader in this space with its diverse product offerings, ranging from smartphones and TVs to home appliances,” said Blum. “However, the question remains is how can we successfully improve people’s daily lives from a wellness perspective. In the end, it is crucial to connect with users to understand their patterns and encourage positive behavioural modifications. Samsung has the potential to push the limits of what’s possible, so we can all take better care of ourselves and our families.”

Chung echoed Blum’s sentiment, in that while Samsung devices were already deeply embedded into everyday lives, there were opportunities to further embrace Samsung’s device ecosystem to facilitate behavioural changes for a happier, healthier tomorrow.

“However, there’s immense power in making behavioural changes with support from family members,” said Chung “It’s more effective than taking on this challenge alone. That’s why it’s necessary to leverage continuous monitoring and insights, as well as create a care circle with family and friends. Samsung can be a huge contributor in creating a care circle by leveraging its expertise and advanced capabilities to maximise social connections with the goal of providing users with greater knowledge about themselves and their loved ones.”

However, Klonoff dropped the biggest hint about what might be seen with Galaxy Watch 7 – blood glucose monitoring.

“Glucose monitoring has become more prevalent, not just for diabetes management but for people who don’t have diabetes yet are interested in pursuing a healthier lifestyle,” said Klonoff. “As such, there’s increasing interest in understanding what behaviours affect glucose levels. Since health metrics are interconnected, combining glucose data with sleep, blood pressure and activity level insights initiates profound conversations about individuals’ lifestyles and experiences. And if users can gain a deeper understanding of these collective insights sooner, then there’s increased opportunity to identify early warning signs of potential health issues such as diabetes. Wearables and AI amplify the value of physiological data and individuals can gain a richer, more nuanced understanding of metabolic health and facilitate opportunities to improve overall wellness and fitness.”

Details about Samsung’s existing Galaxy Watch range can be found at: www.samsung.com/us/watches.