In a recent announcement, Arianna Huffington, the founder of Huffington Post, and Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, shared details about a new project called Thrive AI Health. This venture aims to develop an AI-powered assistant focused on promoting healthier lifestyles. With the support of Huffington’s mental wellness company, Thrive Global, and the OpenAI Startup Fund, Thrive AI Health plans to create an “AI health coach” that can offer personalized advice on various aspects of health, including sleep, nutrition, exercise, stress management, and social connections.
Despite the initial excitement surrounding Thrive AI Health, a recent demo of the product suggests that it is still a work in progress. TechCrunch came across a minimum viable version of the assistant on the company’s official website. While the demo is not fully functional, it features a user interface similar to chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. It includes prompts such as “Can you analyze my sleep patterns?” and “What was my heart rate over the last week?” Users are also asked to input personal health information like age, weight, and any existing medical conditions.
The welcome message on the demo encourages users to explore the features of the assistant, track their health journey, log activities, and receive personalized insights. The goal is to support users in thriving every step of the way. However, since its initial announcement four months ago, Thrive AI Health has maintained a low profile. The CEO, DeCarlos Love, has been inactive on social media since July, and the company has limited its interactions with the press.
A recent press release mentioned that subscribers to Function Health, a premium health management platform, will have the option to share their data with Thrive AI Health. This collaboration aims to provide users with hyper-personalized behavior change recommendations and real-time guidance tailored to their unique health patterns. Despite claiming to be hiring on its website, Thrive AI Health reportedly has fewer than 10 employees, according to LinkedIn.
Thrive AI Health joins a growing list of tech companies that are exploring AI-driven solutions for health and wellness. While Altman and Huffington’s involvement has generated interest in the project, it has also raised expectations and scrutiny. Many similar initiatives have faced challenges related to business, technology, and regulations. As Thrive AI Health continues to develop its assistant, it will be essential to address these issues to deliver on its promise of improving health outcomes through AI technology.
