According to The Wall Street Journal, columnist Nicole Nguyen spent the last year testing AI-powered fitness coaches from Apple, Peloton, and Google-owned Fitbit. She found they can curate custom workouts to fit a busy schedule, offer motivation, and even correct form—like Peloton’s new computer-vision camera that counts reps. However, these AI coaches come with significant drawbacks that users need to consider. The exploration comes as nearly 80% of U.S. adults make fitness resolutions, which often fall apart due to the obstacles of “real life” like work and family demands. Nguyen’s full column details whether any current options make sense for the average person trying to get in shape.
The AI coach reality check
Here’s the thing about any tech solution to a human problem: it’s never perfect. The promise is huge, right? An AI that knows when you’re slacking, tailors a 15-minute workout because your kid just got sick, and tells you your squat form is off. That’s genuinely useful. But what’s the drawback? Well, it’s still software. It can’t truly understand context or nuance. Maybe your form looks “off” because of an old injury. Maybe the “motivational” prompt feels cheesy and has the opposite effect. The WSJ test basically confirms what we all suspect: these are tools, not replacements for human judgment or, when needed, a real-life trainer.
The bigger fitness tech picture
This isn’t just about a few apps. It’s about the entire fitness industry continuing its relentless pivot into our homes and onto our wrists. Peloton adding rep-counting cameras is a direct move to compete with the form-analysis that companies like Tempo pioneered. Apple and Fitbit are leveraging their massive wearables ecosystems to lock you into their workout platforms. For the user, the benefit is more choice and some clever features. The downside? More subscription fees, more data being collected on your physical movements, and the potential to get locked into one brand’s walled garden. Do you really want your workout data siloed in three different apps?
Beyond fitness: tech’s wild 2025
And honestly, the AI fitness coach story is just a sliver of the tech landscape the WSJ newsletter hints at. We’re looking at a world where semiconductor sales blasted past $400 billion in 2025 driven by AI, Meta’s Reels is pulling in revenue like a global consumer brand, and OpenAI is handing out stock-based pay averaging a wild $1.5 million. It creates this bizarre duality. On one hand, tech is solving mundane problems like counting our squats. On the other, it’s creating mind-bending economic shifts and fueling debates about simulation theory and billionaire taxes. The through-line? Everything is being rewritten by software and silicon, from our workout routines to the entire economy.
The human element still wins
So, should you try an AI fitness coach? Probably. If it gets you moving, that’s a win. But let’s not confuse a clever algorithm with a solution to “real life.” The obstacles Nicole mentioned—work deadlines, parenting, pure exhaustion—aren’t going away because your watch buzzes with a new core workout. The tech can assist, but it can’t provide the deep accountability of a workout buddy or the tailored expertise of a pro for complex goals. In the end, the most advanced piece of technology in your fitness journey is still your own brain, deciding to show up. Even the best AI can’t do that for you.
