Alexa, can you give me a warning if I’m getting ill?

SMART speakers could be used as ‘virtual medical coaches’ to monitor patients at home, a major report has suggested.

Devices such as Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri are becoming crucial health tools, the analysis of the NHS’s ‘digital future’ said, adding that within 20 years similar machines could be used to help manage chronic conditions such as diabetes, depression and high blood pressure.

The gadgets will use artificial intelligence (AI) and ‘deep

learning’ to ‘pre-empt hospitalisation’ by spotting when something is wrong, the document said. They would connect to wearable sensors, medical data and even detect stress in someone’s voice to tell when their condition was worsening.

The report, commissioned to examine the possibilities of new technology, said: ‘In the future, many aspects of care will shift closer to the patient’s home,’ as robots and AI make diagnoses more accurate.