Oura Launches Proprietary AI for Personalized Women's Health Insights
Oura has launched its first proprietary AI model, integrated into its Oura Advisor chatbot, to offer personalized insights specifically for women's health. The model covers the full reproductive health spectrum, from early menstrual cycles through menopause, and is accessible to users who opt into Oura Labs, the company's experimental feature hub within the Oura app.
Introducing Oura's New AI Model
The new AI model is designed to support users with questions related to various women's health topics, including menstrual cycles, menopause, and fertility.
It operates by analyzing a user's biometric data, collected by their Oura Ring, which includes sleep, activity, cycle, pregnancy information, and stress levels. This data is then cross-referenced with a curated women's health research library and established medical standards.
According to Oura, the model was developed by an internal team of board-certified clinicians and women’s health experts. Dr. Ricky Bloomfield, Oura's chief medical officer, commented that the custom model represents a shift in the responsible deployment of AI in health, addressing the complexity of women's health with specialized systems.
How It Works: Functionality and Objectives
When a user submits a women's health question to Oura Advisor, the chatbot activates this specialized model. It references its knowledge base while analyzing the user's relevant biometric data to deliver tailored guidance. Oura states the model is designed to be non-dismissive and supportive.
Chris Curry, clinical director of women’s health at Oura, highlighted that the model aims to assist users in preparing for doctor appointments. It is intended to explain typical health patterns, provide data insights, and suggest relevant points for discussion with healthcare providers.
However, the model is not intended for medical diagnosis or to provide treatment plans.
Availability and Commitment to Privacy
The AI model is being rolled out within Oura Labs, an opt-in feature within the Oura app. Users can access it by selecting Oura Labs from the app's upper-left corner drop-down menu and can opt out at any time.
Regarding data privacy, Oura has stated that the model is hosted entirely on Oura-controlled infrastructure, and conversations within the chatbot are not shared or sold. The company has also affirmed commitments not to sell or rent health data and not to share sensitive information without user consent. Oura employs "private AI," where insights are processed and generated directly on the user's device. While the company collaborates with webAI, certain population-level algorithms may potentially utilize cloud or hybrid architectures when necessary.