To understand how Samsung’s AI ecosystem is poised to transform the future of wellness, Samsung Newsroom observed the second Tech Forum session, titled “The Role of Technology for a Healthier Life.”

▲ (From left to right) Dr. Vanessa Hill, Dr. Hon Pak, Dr. Patrick O’Connor, Emily English and Dr. Kyu Rhee

Healthy Living Starts With a Holistic Approach

Moderator Dr. Vanessa Hill, an award-winning science communicator and sleep scientist, started the discussion by providing insights into the practical utility of today’s health technology.

While advancements such as wearable devices, health apps and telehealth platforms have made health management more accessible, the sheer volume of information can lead to confusion — making it easy to overlook critical insights amid an overwhelming sea of data.

▲ Dr. Patrick O’Connor from the University of Georgia

“The issue is not the amount of data but the fragmentation,” said Dr. Patrick O’Connor, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Mary Frances Early College of Education, University of Georgia. “The key is to bring the scattered data together to create a comprehensive understanding, as health requires a holistic approach due to the interconnectedness of so many factors.”

“As a sleep scientist I know the importance of gathering health data around the clock. Identifying abnormalities in metrics like heart rate, temperature or even snoring during sleep is key to not only unlocking better sleep, but better overall health,” said Dr. Hill, who emphasized that sleep is the foundation of holistic health.

Personalized Care Through Various Health Metrics and Continuous Tracking

The discussion also explored the importance of adding new health metrics to track, and monitoring those metrics in a continuous manner.

▲ Dr. Kyu Rhee from the NACHC

“Continuous health monitoring of physical activity, sleep, nutrition and stress should become new, additional vital signs for users and health professionals,” said Dr. Kyu Rhee, President and CEO of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). “Combining this essential health data with clinical data powered by AI insights has the potential to transform the health system by improving health outcomes, reducing healthcare costs, and empowering patients, their caregivers and healthcare teams.”

▲ Dr. Hon Pak from Samsung Electronics

One health metric receiving a substantial amount of attention from both Samsung and the digital health industry in general is blood glucose.

“Blood glucose is an area Samsung has been deeply invested in, and we’ve made significant progress in developing CGM-integrated nutrition coaching as well as enhancing non-invasive technologies for tracking blood glucose levels,” said Dr. Hon Pak, Senior Vice President and Head of Digital Health Team, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics, sharing the company’s roadmap for blood glucose management and end-to-end (E2E) healthcare experiences. “These advancements are all part of our work to deliver more proactive and preventive disease detection solutions to everyone, helping lower healthcare burdens on people, their families and society at large.”

▲ Emily English, a BSc nutritionist

“There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to health and nutrition, it’s a journey that requires a holistic understanding of yourself,” said Emily English, a BSc nutritionist. “Wellness technology is helping provide a full 360-view of your life. New solutions that offer easy access to health metrics like blood glucose will offer a more holistic understanding of our bodies and revolutionize the way we manage our everyday health.”

Ushering in the Era of Personalized Health Insights

The discussion touched on how AI can translate tracked health data into actionable and meaningful insights.

▲ The Tech Forum discussion on Health AI

In an effort to consolidate disparate data onto a single platform, Samsung has collaborated with Dr. O’Connor’s research team to develop Energy Score — a feature that enhances the digital healthcare experience. “New AI-enabled features like Energy Score have become a jumping off point for broader health innovations,” explained Dr. Pak. Calculated based on health indicators such as activity levels, sleep, heart rate during sleep and heart rate variability during sleep, Energy Score exemplifies how wearable devices and AI can support a holistic and personalized approach to health and wellness management.

▲ Dr. Patrick O’Connor describes Energy Score.

“Monitoring overall readiness might benefit from minimally invasive brain sensing technology,” said Dr. O’Connor. “Today, we are able to leverage non-invasive technology, the available science and AI to generate an Energy Score, helping translate complex data into an intuitive and understandable index.”

Dr. Pak also teased Samsung’s upcoming plans to expand the AI capabilities of Energy Score to include nutrition, mental health and even mobile usage patterns — offering users deeper and more comprehensive insights into their overall well-being.

The Health AI session underscored the importance of a holistic approach to health management, highlighting the potential of personalized health experiences powered by continuous health monitoring. As AI becomes an indispensable partner in modern wellness, Samsung’s innovative technology is set to drive a new era of tailored and comprehensive health solutions.

With over 25 years of experience in the medical field and now as Head of Digital Health team at Samsung Electronics, I spend a lot of time contemplating how technology can truly drive progress in healthcare, rather than being just another innovation for innovation’s sake. That’s why I’m very excited about AI as it offers new ways to address many of society’s health problems by simplifying complexity and at scale.

In our ongoing work to reimagine healthcare, Samsung is leveraging advanced AI algorithms and extensive technical expertise to develop solutions like Energy Score. This feature quantifies physical and mental energy levels through multiple health indicators including sleep, heart health and physical activity. Our vision is to include more comprehensive metrics like nutrition, mental health and additional mobile usage patterns to provide a holistic view of users’ health status, powered by AI.

AI holds great promise for early disease prevention through analyzing patterns and behaviors, detecting abnormalities, and even predicting potential health issues. By combining our long-standing sensor innovations with AI leadership, we aim to elevate our capabilities in preventing diseases, beyond sleep apnea and expanding to cardio-metabolic conditions. In particular, blood glucose is a big area of focus for us, and Samsung has been working to develop a sensor algorithm that predicts early signs of diabetes — along with non-invasive blood glucose monitoring technology and continuous glucose monitoring-integrated nutrition coaching.

Our goal is to support proactive health management, lowering healthcare burdens on individuals, families and communities at large. I strongly believe that AI will revolutionize the digital health industry and simplify the wellness journey for everyone. As a global tech leader, Samsung is uniquely equipped to make this a reality with our mix of technology innovations and a growing ecosystem of partners.