A few years ago, I was convinced I was about to die. Even though I didn’t do this, my intense health anxiety and tendency to always jump to the worst conclusions persisted. The rise of health-tracking watches like the latest Apple Watch Series 11 or Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 — coupled with new ways that AI is trying to analyze and inform us of our body data — has led me to make an important decision. For peace of mind, AI and constant tracking should stay away from my personal health. I will explain.
Sometime in 2016, I had severe migraines that lasted for two weeks. My anxiety increased sharply during this period due to constant anxiety. When I finally called the NHS helpline in the UK and explained the different symptoms, they told me I needed to go to the nearest hospital to be checked within two hours. I distinctly remember them telling me: “Go there with someone, it will be faster than getting an ambulance to you.”
This call confirmed my worst fears, that death was imminent.
As it turned out, my fears of early death were unfounded. It was actually due to severe muscle strain from hanging several heavy cameras around my neck for an entire day while photographing a friend’s wedding. But the helpline agent was simply working on the limited data I provided. As a result, they took – perhaps rightly – a “better safe than sorry” approach and urged me to seek immediate medical attention, just in case I was truly in danger.
The Apple Watch has always had a variety of heart rate trackers and I’ve always avoided them.
I’ve spent most of my life struggling with health anxiety, and episodes like this have taught me a lot about my ability to jump to the worst conclusions ever despite having no real evidence to back them up. Ringing in my ears? It must be a brain tumor. Tingling in my stomach? Well, I’d better get my shit together.
I’ve learned to live with this over the years, and while I still have my ups and downs, I know better what triggers things for me. I’ve learned never To google my symptoms. Because no matter what symptoms I had, the cancer was there always One possibility that the research might raise. Medical websites – including the NHS website – provided no relief and usually only led to startling panic attacks.
Unfortunately, I’ve found that I have a similar response with many health trackers. I liked the Apple Watch at first, and its ability to read my heart rate during workouts was useful. Then I found that I was checking it more and more throughout the day. Then doubt crept into my mind: “Why does my heart rate go up when I’m just sitting down? Is this normal? I’ll try again in 5 minutes.” When it is no different (or worse), panic naturally ensues.
I’ve used Apple Watches many times, but I find heart rate tracking more cumbersome than helpful.
Whether it’s tracking my heart rate, blood oxygen levels, or even sleep scores, I obsess over what my “normal” range should be. Any time my data fell outside of this range, I immediately assumed it meant I was about to crash right then and there. The more data these devices provide, the more things I feel I have to worry about. And now the new Apple Watch Series 11 can monitor blood pressure, so now I’m worried too.
Sure, there’s an argument that I don’t need to worry unless it alerts me to a problem. And I’m actually safer as a result of wearing it. Apple’s heart-wrenching promotional video at its September launch event that told the stories of people literally being saved from sudden death by their watches certainly made a strong case. But I know that’s not how my mind works. Instead of letting these tools do their work in the background while I go on with my life, I would pay attention to the metrics and any deviation from a set baseline would be cause for immediate panic.
I’ve learned to keep my fears at bay and continue to use smartwatches occasionally, without them posing a major problem for my mental health (I have to not use any heart-related functions like EKGs), but AI-based health gadgets scare me more.
It’s not just Apple that is the problem here. This year, Samsung told us all the ways its new Galaxy AI tools — and Google’s Gemini AI — are supposed to help us in our daily lives. Samsung Health’s algorithms will track your heart rate as it fluctuates throughout the day, letting you know about changes. It will provide personalized insights from your diet and exercise to help with cardiovascular health. You can also ask the AI agent questions related to your health.
For many, this may seem like a great overview of your health, but not for me. For me, it feels like more and more data is being collected and waved in front of me, forcing me to acknowledge it and inevitably creating an endless feedback loop of obsession, anxiety, and panic. But the AI questions are the biggest red flag for me. AI tools by their nature have to provide “best guess” answers usually based on publicly available information online. Asking the AI a question is really just a quick way to do a Google search, and as I’ve found, Googling health queries doesn’t end well for me.
Samsung showcased different ways to use AI in its health app during the Unpacked keynote.
Just like the NHS operator who unwittingly caused me to panic about death, an AI health assistant will only be able to provide answers based on the limited information it has about me. Asking a question about my heart health may turn up a variety of information, just as searching on a health website about why I get headaches. But it’s very similar to how headaches are He can Technically a symptom of cancer, it’s also likely to be a muscle twitch. Or a sign that I didn’t drink enough water. Or I need to look away from my screen for a bit. Or that I wasn’t supposed to stay up until 2 a.m. playing Yakuza: Infinite Wealth. Or a hundred other reasons, all of which are much more likely than the one you’ve already decided is definitely the culprit.
But will AI give me the context I need to stop worrying or obsessing over my mind? Or will it just provide me everyone Possible outcomes? It may be intended to provide complete understanding, but instead may risk fueling that “what if” anxiety. And just like how Google AI Overviews asked people to put glue on pizza, would an AI health tool simply scan the internet and provide me with a bunch of answers, with inaccurate conclusions that could turn my anxiety into full-blown panic attack territory?
Or perhaps, like the kind doctor in the hospital that day, who smiled kindly at the sobbing man sitting across the street and who had already typed out a farewell message to his family on his phone in the waiting room, an AI tool might be able to see that data and simply say: “You’re fine, Andy, stop worrying and go to sleep.”
Maybe one day this will be the case. Maybe health trackers and AI insights can provide me with the dose of logic and reassurance I desperately need to counter my anxiety, rather than be a cause of it. But even then, it’s not a risk I’m willing to take.