Technologies

Apple’s AI Doctor May See You in 2026

Apple is working on an AI-driven health coach that would push the company further into health data and wellness, according to reports.

Apple will push further into healthcare with an AI-driven doctor — a kind of health coach that would be integrated with the company’s mobile devices.

As reported by Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, the initiative is called Project Mulberry and could yield a version for consumers as early as next year and launch with a future version of iOS. It would reportedly offer advice on food habits and exercise techniques, and use data that Apple already collects from Apple’s Health app and hardware including the Apple Watch.

It’s no secret that Apple’s CEO Tim Cook has been promising that the company’s long-term plans include a big push into more health-related technologies.

Apple didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.

It’s unclear if Apple’s initiative would work as an actual diagnosing medical resource meant to replicate a physician as Gurman’s report calling it an «AI doctor service» suggests or it it’s meant to be more of a virtual health and wellness advisor. According to the report, the AI agent is being trained on actual physician data and may include content from doctors and health experts as part of its service. The overall package could end up as another pillar of Apple’s evolving services business and called «Health Plus.»

While there’s huge promise in marrying AI with healthcare, especially in preventative care and risk assessment, as the Mayo Clinic points out, there are others warning that mixing artificial intelligence with medical care could have its pitfalls.

In December, the healthcare research nonprofit ECRI released a report citing AI as its top hazard for healthcare in 2025. While the report says AI could potentially transform healthcare for the better, issues such as inaccurate or misleading AI responses and AI-powered products that don’t work as promised are potential dangers for the health industry.

Technologies

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Technologies

Lyrids Meteor Shower Peaking Tuesday: Get Outside and Watch the Fireballs

If you miss the peak, the Lyrids continue through Saturday.

If you’re up late or early this week, there’s some dazzling activity going on in the sky you can check out. The Lyrids meteor shower will reach its peak early Tuesday morning, when its barrage of space rocks meets the atmosphere in the eastern sky.

«You will begin to see Lyrids after 10 p.m. local time,» said Bill Cooke, who leads NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. «This year, the light from the crescent moon will not interfere too much with the viewing, but it is best to look away from the moon, preferably placing it behind you.»

Read more: Here’s a Look Ahead at the Year in Meteor Showers

From Earth, Lyrids meteors tend to look unique, because they usually don’t leave the glowing trails of dust that often come with meteor showers. However, Lyrids meteors are known to create occasional «fireballs,» or bright flashes in the sky.

You’ll see it better away from the city

City lights make it hard to see the sky’s natural features. For the best chance to catch the Lyrids, head away from towns and suburbs to a dark sky in the country. Bring a blanket or sleeping bag, so you can gaze up.

For the best results, try not to look at your phone screen — the light from the device makes it harder for your eyes to adjust — and just stare up at the sky. TikTok will be there when you get back.

«In less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt, and you will begin to see meteors,» Cooke said.

The point where a meteor shower appears to originate from is called the radiant. To find the radiant of the Lyrids, look near the constellation Lyra, which is where the Lyrid meteor shower gets its name.

The brightest star in the Lyra constellation is Vega. It shines so bright that careful observers might even spot Vega in an area with light pollution. For the meteor shower tonight, look away from the variant a bit, as the Lyrids will appear «longer and more spectacular from this perspective,» according to NASA.

Five or six meteors could be visible by 4:30 a.m. CT., Cooke said. But, in the past, the Lyrids meteor shower, which visits Earth every April, has surprised lucky skywatchers with as many as 100 meteors per hour.

The bits of space rock that create the Lyrids come from comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, named for A. E. Thatcher, who discovered it in 1861. The Lyrids are one of the oldest known meteor showers. We’ve got a full guide to the entire year in meteor showers.