How AI is changing the face of the wellness industry in 2024

Get to know the game-changing role played by AI in the healthcare and wellness industries.

11:36 27 March 2024

Possibly the most dramatic change that has swept the wellness industry post Covid 19 is the game changing role played by AI in the healthcare and wellness industries. 

Valued at approximately USD 8 million in 2022, the market share is poised to cross USD 30 million by 2030. This stunning trajectory is driven by a variety of forces, and will leverage the enormous power of AI in ways that we could not imagine a decade ago. 

The markets that seem set to boom are in North America, Europe and more developed parts of the Asia Pacific region. This can be attributed to higher readiness to accept technology and more awareness of the need for health and fitness. Some markets such as the Middle East and Africa seem to be following close behind as lifestyles and interest in wellness become more widespread.

Apart from physical fitness and wellness, AI is increasingly emerging as a strong player in the field of mental health, life-skills coaching and affective computing. This last field is at the crossroads of psychology, cognitive sciences and computer science. But more about this later. 

Enter AI

The term “Artificial Intelligence” itself was first used in the 1950s to refer to computer programs and models that could replicate human faculties such as problem solving, collating and gathering experiences, and in the interpretation of data. 

Using AI to deal with biomedical issues is where it all began in the 1970s. An early program called MYCIN was developed to identify treatments for blood infection. While this program had a limited use, the technology continued to grow in scale and size. Algorithms were used to collect and process data more swiftly, using robotics for intricate and complex surgery, research, mapping, and maintenance of records. Today the scope has expanded to include diagnosis, screening, remote medicine, psychiatry and of course the fitness and wellness industries. 

Benefits of AI in Healthcare and Wellness

The Covid 19 pandemic brought about revolutionary changes in the way humans approached health and wellness. The global wellness market is driven by the amazing power of AI to go beyond human capability in analyzing vast amounts of data, come up with interpretations, viable solutions and to strategize for the future. These are mainly routine tasks, and AI frees up valuable time of professionals in the field to focus on other important sectors. 

Another brilliant use of AI was in developing and testing vaccines during the pandemic. The process that would normally take years was compressed into the space of a few months. 

This means that people can become more proactive in their choices. You can choose health and wellness programs that help to keep you fit and healthy, and prevent the need to visit a clinic or a doctor. Lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and hypertension can be self-managed by apps, wearable devices and telemedicine. 

One of the major pain points that patients report when they enter the healthcare system is that of poor communication. AI driven chatbots and virtual assistants provide real time information on medication, while natural language processing programs, speech recognition programs and predictive analysis offer avenues of clear and logical communication. 

In many instances, consumers and patients need quick answers to simple questions that an AI system can easily provide. This helps service providers to conserve their energies and expertise to more complex matters. 

Fraud prevention is another area where AI offers invaluable assistance. Algorithms can quickly sniff out suspicious patterns in insurance claims, or service providers recommending unnecessary testing to pad insurance claims. 

AI systems are being used in areas such as ethics, safety, well-being, transparency, equity and protecting confidentiality and privacy. 

Another crucial benefit that AI offers is in reducing human error. Systems built on deep learning help to interpret scans, X-rays and tests more accurately. 

AI In The Wellness Landscape: What The Future Holds

Time for some crystal gazing! To incorporate AI into wellness seems to be the most natural and next logical step. 

1.  Personalization: The Covid 19 pandemic taught us a very important lesson - that we’re ultimately personally responsible for our wellness. This is where AI tools in the form of wearable devices, fitness trackers, customized diet programs, virtual therapists safety and preventive concepts have transformed the nature of wellness. Many such AI tools can be used for instance to provide personalized solutions such as your own Top 5 Self Care Tips. 
2. Shared responsibility: Wellness is a multidisciplinary field. It encompasses nutrition, well-being, psychology and psychiatry, alternate medicine, physical and emotional fitness, and a holistic approach. This is where AI can combine and weave together these different strands and come up with a tailor made solution that’s unique to each consumer. 
3. Corporate Solutions: More and more corporations, both large and small, are embracing wellness concepts where employees are concerned. Telemedicine, chatbots, virtual assistants, guided fitness monitoring, health and nutrition advice, social and emotional health, information about fitness centers and gyms, yoga programs, management of lifestyle conditions such as diabetes, stress management and more are areas where AI steps in to ensure that employees remain productive and contribute more to the general atmosphere of peace and happiness within the company. Timely, appropriate diagnosis and intervention are where AI can make all the difference.
4. Mental Health Support: As we discussed earlier, affective computing allows AI to provide enhanced mental health support wherever and whenever it’s needed. Managing stress and anxiety, depression, substance addiction, fears and phobias, memory care were topics that held a certain amount of taboo and stigma in society. This meant people were reluctant to approach a mental health professional. Such support was also plagued by misinformation such as it’s too expensive, long-drawn out, or that it doesn’t offer immediate results. With AI driven tools, people can access individualized programs in the privacy of their homes. They can develop unique mindfulness routines, customized therapeutic and pharma solutions, monitor their own wellness and still feel that they’re getting the outcomes they expect. 
5. Cutting Edge tech: The proliferation of start-ups in the wellness sector bodes well for AI. Tech that can read facial expressions, interpret speech and language, monitor gait, heartbeat, oxygen levels in the blood, sweat or temperature help to provide biofeedback that can be used by consumers to self-monitor their own levels of wellness. EEG powered headbands, ankle-bands and wrist bands provide real time data that help to track anxiety levels, ensure mindful meditation and rest and digest processes.