World Governments Summit 2026: Oura CEO Tom Hale sees AI wearables forecasting health years ahead

Wearable technology is moving beyond counting steps and flagging short-term anomalies, toward predicting long-term health outcomes that could reshape how medicine is delivered, according to Tom Hale, chief executive officer of Finland-based healthtech startup Oura.

Speaking at the World Governments Summit 2026, Hale said the next phase of digital health will be driven by continuous biometric data combined with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, enabling people and healthcare systems to act before illness takes hold.

“The Oura ring is a powerful biometric sensor that you wear continuously. There's a software application that makes predictions for you,” Hale said. Highlighting the company’s predictive health metrics, he added, “We're trying to give you a sixth sense. And that's sort of in the, kind of, goal of changing your behaviour to bend towards health.”

Hale said the real breakthrough will come when wearables can look far beyond immediate alerts to forecast outcomes years into the future.

“I think where it gets really interesting is when you can make a prediction that's about where you're gonna be a year from now, two years from now, ten years from now,” he said. “We can use those predictions to not just make you healthier, but make the healthcare system healthier.”

Accuracy, Hale stressed, will be critical as wearables expand into more clinical territory, particularly for measures such as blood pressure. He noted that wrist-based readings remain less reliable, while finger-based devices tend to deliver better results.

“Blood pressure is a clinical measure. It tells you whether you have hypertension or if you have hypotension, whether you're headed for a stroke; you can't make that mistake,” Hale said. “If I tell you you're gonna have a stroke and you don't, that's terrible. We would never want to do that. So accuracy is key.”

Over time, Hale expects AI-powered insights to make individuals more proactive about their well-being, while bringing patients into the healthcare system earlier rather than replacing doctors altogether.

“We’re moving toward a world where you’re effectively the CEO of your own health,” Hale said, adding that the convergence of AI, machine learning and wearables could underpin a more personalised and preventive model of care.