Google is grappling with how to shape the next generation of wearable technology, according to a discussion between The Verge's Victoria Song and Google executives ahead of its Made by Google event. While the industry broadly agrees on a shared vision — AI coaches, preventive "check engine" health alerts, and personalised recommendations — companies, including Google, appear uncertain how to actually deliver it, with each element facing significant practical hurdles.

Google's health and home VP, Rishi Chandra, noted that wearables have historically catered to hardcore health enthusiasts even though wearable penetration stands at only around 30%, leaving 70% of people untapped. Current AI coaches are described as overly chatty and fixated on minor details, health alerts risk causing anxiety and regulatory complications, and personalised health tools demand extensive private data while inheriting AI's existing flaws. Google's stated response, first outlined a year ago by Chandra and wearables director Sandeep Waraich, is to move away from a single flagship device towards a broader ecosystem of diverse wearables, a shift already reflected in the industry's growing pivot towards AI glasses and other screenless devices.