Technology juggernaut Apple is attempting to develop phone features that can help spot depression and cognitive decline, according to people familiar with the matter.
In recent years, the iPhone has shifted toward features aimed at improving time management and helping users be more aware of their screen time. Now, Apple is apparently working on technology that aims to analyze users’ traits such as their voices and facial expressions to determine whether someone is experiencing mental decline, according to documents seen by the Wall Street Journal.
Apple’s efforts stem from a recently announced partnership with the University of California, Los Angeles, where researchers are studying stress, anxiety, and depression. Additional collaboration comes from pharmaceutical company Biogen, which is studying mild cognitive impairment. Apple’s code name for the UCLA-assisted research is “Seabreeze,” and “Pi” is the code name for the Biogen project, according to the documents.
APPLE ENGAGED IN ‘ANTICOMPETITIVE CONDUCT’ BUT IS NOT ‘ILLEGAL MONOPOLIST,’ JUDGE FINDS
While Apple’s concept could raise alarm bells among some who value privacy measures, the documents seen by the WSJ reportedly suggest the algorithms making the cognitive analysis will not send the data to Apple servers.
The efforts to implement a virtual mental health evaluation are in early stages, but developers hope to utilize a multitude of sensory facets, including facial expressions, how people speak, walking pace, sleep patterns, as well as heart and respiration rates. The features could also measure the speed of typing and evaluate typed content, according to people familiar with the project.
Apple’s Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams oversees the company’s health unit and has spoken optimistically to employees at the company about Apple’s potential to address surging rates of anxiety and depression, as well as other brain disorders. He has also underscored the use of “transistor tech advances and power scaling to revolutionize health care.”
The UCLA study is expected to track data from 3,000 volunteers beginning this year, while the Biogen project aims to recruit nearly 20,000 people to participate throughout the next two years, with half of the participants having risk factors for cognitive impairment.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The Washington Examiner contacted Apple but did not immediately receive a response.
