Samsung's AI expansion is reigniting the battle between innovation and privacy #
Samsung Health users are beginning to see a new consent prompt asking whether they agree to let their health data be used for AI training. The company has recently added a consent option in the Samsung Health app that asks users to allow their health information to be used for AI purposes.
New AI Consent Prompt Raises Fears Over Health Data #
The latest AI-related update is drawing attention after Samsung added a new consent option within the Samsung Health app's privacy settings. The feature asks users to give permission for the use of their personal health data to develop and enhance machine learning tools.
Privacy concerns emerged after an early warning message appeared to suggest that users who declined consent could lose Samsung Health syncing and have their data deleted. The warning message states, 'You will not be able to sync health data with your Samsung account, and your health data will be deleted unless retained pursuant to applicable law. If retention is required, we will erase it as soon as the required retention period ends.'
This drew a lot of concerns, especially among users who spent years creating detailed health histories through their Samsung devices. Many were concerned that years of accumulated health histories could be lost if the warning was interpreted literally.
Samsung later acknowledged that the original message did not clearly explain the difference between standard Samsung Health data and data intended for AI development. It said the notice is being updated and emphasized that users who opt out of AI training will still keep their existing health data and cloud syncing.
What Data Could Samsung Collect? #
According to Samsung, this new data-sharing option is to improve Samsung Health by allowing its AI systems to better analyse health trends and users' needs and offer more tailored insights.
The data that could be used for AI training include various categories of private health details, such as:
- Sleep patterns and activity
- Medication information
- Health and wellness information
- Menstrual cycle tracking data
- Body measurements
- Nutrition details
- Daily movement and step counts
Although Samsung says the data will help improve personalised health features, its disclosure that AI training may involve human review has raised additional privacy concerns among some users. Samsung has not publicly specified who conducts those reviews or how the process is handled.
Samsung's AI Health Data Dilemma #
The company is growing its AI-powered health ecosystem, turning Galaxy wearables into advanced digital health assistants. New features like Cardio Load, Heart Health Score, Vitals, and Fitness Index utilise biometric signals, activity level, sleep quality, and stress data to provide users with a more complete picture of their health.
These AI-powered health features rely on increasingly detailed health information, and Samsung is now asking users separately whether some of that data may also be used to improve its AI models, indicative of a growing trend in the tech industry. More and more companies have grown dependent on real-world user data to power sophisticated artificial intelligence systems.
This move raises an important question for consumers: how much personal information are they willing to give up to enjoy more intelligent and convenient services?
© Copyright IBTimes 2025. All rights reserved.