AI virtual assistants and smart gadgets: reimagining healthcare accessibility

This year, artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare. It’s creating new solutions that make healthcare easier to access, more efficient, and personalized. This year, two breakthrough innovations demonstrate this shift: Scotland’s AI-powered physiotherapist “Kirsty” and the Withings’ Omnia smart mirror, launched at CES 2025. These tools show how AI is addressing major health challenges, engaging patients, and seamlessly integrating into everyday life.

Scotland’s “Kirsty”

Scotland’s use of “Kirsty,” an AI-powered virtual physiotherapist, is a big step in bringing technology into healthcare. Made by Flok Health, Kirsty offers physiotherapy sessions through a simple mobile app. It focuses on common problems like back pain, which need ongoing care. With advanced algorithms, Kirsty creates personalized exercise plans based on each user’s needs and updates them with user feedback. This makes sure patients get the right treatment without needing frequent in-person visits.

The biggest benefit of the tool is how it helps Scotland’s National Health Service (NHS) deal with resource shortages and long wait times for physiotherapy. By providing care remotely, Kirsty addresses these issues. Patients can do guided exercises at home, lowering the need for face-to-face visits and allowing healthcare workers to focus on more serious cases.

Early trials show promising results, with users seeing big improvements in managing pain and moving better. This success proves that the technology works and can change how physiotherapy is given. The positive feedback from users and healthcare workers supports a wider use of the system, positioning Scotland as a leader in using AI in public health.

Kirsty shows how AI can boost healthcare resources, especially in places with limited access to trained physiotherapists. By filling care delivery gaps, Kirsty ensures patients get timely and quality support, regardless of where they live or access to healthcare workers. It also moves healthcare towards more sustainable solutions since the digital platform can handle more users without needing more physical infrastructure or staff.

Kirsty’s success goes beyond physiotherapy. It shows how AI can tackle various healthcare challenges, like creating personalized treatment plans and addressing care access inequalities. Scotland’s early adoption of this technology not only improves patient outcomes but also serves as a model for other countries looking to enhance their healthcare systems. By using AI to support existing healthcare, Kirsty sets a precedent for creating a more efficient, fair, and patient-focused healthcare future.

Withings’ Omnia

At CES 2025, Withings introduced the Omnia smart mirror, marking an exciting leap in health technology. Unlike other devices, Omnia aims to offer a complete health-monitoring experience by combining many features into one stylish device.

The smart mirror can measure weight, heart health, and metabolism with sensors built into its base. It also pulls in data from other gadgets like smartwatches, blood pressure monitors, and sleep trackers. What makes Omnia unique is its AI voice assistant, which gives immediate feedback, motivational tips, and can even schedule telehealth appointments.

By combining AI with health tracking, Omnia showcases the blending of current health tech trends. Withings, known for various health products like their ScanWatches and urine analysis gadgets, positions Omnia as the centerpiece of a connected system.

However, Omnia is still a concept, with no release date or price announced. While it got a lot of attention at CES, its success will rely on Withings bringing it to market and proving it’s more than just a tech display.

Building on existing trends in health tech

Both Kirsty and Omnia show a bigger trend: AI is becoming a part of everyday healthcare tools. Smart mirrors aren’t a new idea. Devices like Lululemon’s Mirror and other fitness gadgets have already explored combining mirrors with digital displays. Also, AI health devices—like smart scales that analyze body fat or wearables that monitor your vital signs—have been around for some time. What makes Omnia special is how it pulls all these trends together into one easy-to-use device.

Virtual helpers like Kirsty are also growing thanks to the increasing use of AI chatbots in healthcare. Tools such as symptom checkers, mental health support chatbots, and chronic disease management platforms are becoming more common. These technologies aim to lessen the workload of healthcare providers and help users by giving quick, personalized advice.

Chronic disease management and mental health support

AI’s role in managing chronic diseases is particularly noteworthy. Conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases require continuous monitoring and tailored interventions. Platforms powered by AI can analyze data from wearable devices, predict potential complications, and alert patients or healthcare providers in real-time.

For example, AI-powered tools like Withings’ blood pressure monitors and sleep trackers complement the Omnia mirror by offering a more comprehensive view of a patient’s health. Together, these devices provide actionable insights that can help patients adhere to treatment plans, manage their conditions more effectively, and avoid unnecessary hospital visits.

This shift toward proactive care represents a significant departure from traditional healthcare models, which have historically focused on treating illnesses rather than preventing them. By leveraging AI, health tech companies are enabling a more sustainable approach to managing chronic conditions.

AI is also proving to be a valuable tool in addressing mental health needs. Virtual assistants and chatbots designed to provide emotional support are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Troomi Wireless, for instance, has integrated an AI chatbot called “Troodi” into its smartphones for children. Troodi offers stress management tips and conflict resolution advice, helping young users navigate mental health challenges in a safe and monitored environment.

Such tools are particularly important in light of growing concerns about mental health among younger populations. By providing accessible, on-demand support, AI-powered chatbots can serve as a first line of intervention, complementing traditional therapy and counseling services.

Addressing accessibility and ethical concerns

While these advancements are exciting, they also raise important questions about accessibility and ethics. High-tech devices like Omnia may be cost-prohibitive for many, limiting their potential impact. Similarly, virtual assistants like Kirsty require reliable internet access and a level of digital literacy that may not be universally available.

Policymakers and health tech companies must work together to ensure that these innovations are accessible to diverse populations. Subsidies, public-private partnerships, and user-friendly design can help bridge the gap, making AI-powered healthcare tools more inclusive.

Additionally, the use of AI in healthcare raises ethical considerations, including data privacy and the potential for algorithmic bias. Companies must prioritize transparency and rigorously test their technologies to ensure they meet the highest standards of safety and fairness.

A vision for the future of healthcare

The unveiling of Withings’ Omnia smart mirror and the deployment of Scotland’s Kirsty virtual physiotherapist offer a compelling glimpse into the future of healthcare. These innovations showcase how AI can enhance patient experiences, streamline healthcare delivery, and promote better health outcomes.

As health tech continues to evolve, the focus will likely shift toward creating integrated ecosystems that combine physical devices, AI-powered insights, and telemedicine capabilities. By doing so, the industry can move closer to a vision of healthcare that is proactive, personalized, and accessible to all.

Whether it’s a smart mirror that tracks your health metrics or a virtual assistant that guides you through physiotherapy exercises, the potential of AI in healthcare is vast. While challenges remain, the developments of 2025 suggest that we are well on our way to realizing this vision.