Daijiworld Media Network - Cupertino

Cupertino, Jul 12: Apple’s latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) breakthrough can now detect pregnancy with an impressive 92% accuracy using behavioural data from iPhones and Apple Watches, according to a new study published by the tech giant.

The study, titled "Beyond Sensor Data: Foundation Models of Behavioral Data from Wearables Improve Health Predictions," introduced the Wearable Behaviour Model (WBM) — a cutting-edge AI system trained on over 2.5 billion hours of wearable data.

WBM leverages high-level metrics such as sleep quality, heart rate variability, and mobility, collected from the Apple Health app, HealthKit, and heart rate sensors (PPG), rather than relying solely on raw sensor data, which is often noisy and complex.

Researchers compiled a pregnancy dataset based on 430 pregnancies, ending in either vaginal or cesarean deliveries. They identified “positive weeks” as the nine months before delivery and one month postpartum, capturing physiological changes linked to pregnancy and recovery.

To strengthen accuracy, data was also gathered from over 24,000 non-pregnant women under the age of 50.

"Unlike raw sensors, these higher-level behavioural metrics are calculated using carefully validated algorithms... chosen to align with physiologically relevant quantities and health states,” the study noted.

According to tech outlet 9to5Mac, the new WBM model offers clearer insights by tracking and predicting health changes over time, opening the door to more proactive and personalised health care using wearable technology.