Oura has used AI to predict health for years, CEO says

Oura, the company behind the popular smart rings for health tracking, is not one of the many startups that jumped on the AI wave in recent years. In fact, it built machine learning into its products much earlier than others. CEO Tom Hale said so at the Spark Summit in California, in an interview with Bloomberg.

AI predicts health months ahead

Oura's algorithms have learned to predict changes in a user's health over different time horizons. The system works on short-term forecasts — when the user will sleep well, when stress is coming, how much energy they will have tomorrow — as well as long-term ones: identifying disease risks, progression of chronic conditions, and general health trends months and years ahead.

Technically, this is possible thanks to data from the ring: heart rate, heart rate variability, skin temperature, sleep patterns, movement. The AI learns the patterns between these signals and subsequent changes in health. The system does not just predict, it also makes personalized recommendations: which actions can help improve sleep, how to cope with stress, when to cut back on physical activity.

How to convince the scientific community

Oura's main problem is the scientific community. When a company talks about predicting health, the medical community demands proof. That means clinical studies, statistical validation of the algorithms, and publications in authoritative medical journals.

Hale acknowledged that this is harder than just selling gadgets. The company needs to bring in independent scientists, run open studies and prepare for skepticism. Some doctors still view wearables warily because they have not seen enough evidence that they work.

"We are doing work that takes time and rigorous scientific methodology.

These are not quick PR campaigns, this is science."

Oura and Apple: competitors or complements

One question concerned competition with the Apple Watch. A large share of Oura users also wear an Apple Watch — doesn't that kill demand? Hale answered that the devices are more complementary. The Apple Watch provides information during the day: current pulse, movement, stress in real time. Oura focuses on nighttime analysis and long-term forecasts:

• Deep analysis of sleep and recovery
• Long-term health trends
• Battery lasts up to 7 days instead of one
• Focus on predictions rather than real-time monitoring

So these are different niches: the Apple Watch for everyday health and activity, Oura for deep analysis and forecasts.

What this means

Smart rings are becoming a new generation of personal health assistants. AI has learned to predict health problems before a person feels them. This could be a revolution in preventive medicine, but only if the scientific community confirms that these predictions actually work.