Health AI is scary. Also, promising. Lately? Mostly promising. I’m wearing the new Fitbit Air. No screen. Just data. I’ve got early access to Google Health, which swallowed the Fitbit whole. Now it runs on Gemini.
A 24/7 coach. Silent. Light. It makes me think about eyes. Specifically, the ones inside smart glasses.
You probably expect this. Scott thinks about smart glasses constantly. Especially now. Google is launching a full lineup of eyewear later this year. Expect announcements at Google I/O in a few days.
AI is creeping into every habit we have. In health apps it processes hours of hourly data. Useful? Maybe. Intrusive? Also yes. It signals that tech companies want to synthesize every part of you. At once.
Imagine checking your stats without touching a phone. Summaries popping up in your periphery. Gemini would make that work. It chats on the fly. It summarizes progress. It’s the companion those glasses need. That is where Google is going.
Meta is Losing the Gym
Look at Meta. Mark Zuckerberg wants wearables in your life. They are pushing hard on Oakley-branded frames. The Oakley Vanguards came out last fall. Built for sports. Meta partnered with Garmin to sync data too.
The execution lacks punch. Garmin data does not talk to Meta AI. Fitness stats rarely show up in the glass interface when you actually want them. Limited at best.
Google has a weapon Meta does not: Gemini. Fitbit data now feeds into the new Health app. There is a health coach there if you pay for it. Why not pipe that into camera and audio-equipped glasses? The data is already connected.
The Fitbit brand is quiet. Fading? Maybe. But Fitbit invented this game in 2009. That legacy could give Google’s glasses a distinct advantage in the fitness crowd.
The Bridge Between Body and Pixel
The Gemini coach in Google Health feels odd at first. Weird questions. I don’t know how to prompt it. I keep typing random things. Then it works. Extended summaries. Sleep trends. Restfulness. Goals for the run ahead.
The pieces exist. They just need a face. Or lenses.
I expect Google to announce the connection to phone-linked glasses at I/O. Or soon after.
Meta owns the smart glass hardware market. Google has to win people. Warby Parker might help. Gentle Monster might help too. But Google owns Fitbit. It has held that title for five years. Athletes might buy glasses just to see Fitbit stats in the lens.
Is that enough? Or will Fitbit loyalists revolt? They might feel Google pulled the rug out by deleting the dedicated app. Can Google recreate the experience in the cloud? Through Gemini?
We will find out. The upcoming glasses can run any Gemini feature your phone handles. Health included. That capability might be the edge. Meta might have to sprint just to stay in the room.
