CES 2026: Samsung Galaxy Ring and Watch to get AI dementia detection features
Samsung is turning the Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring into tools that can detect early signs of dementia. A new software initiative unveiled at CES 2026 aims to monitor cognitive health using AI and sensor data gathered from everyday use.
Samsung pivots to brain health monitoring
Under the banner of Brain Health, Samsung is rolling out a suite of features within its Health app designed to keep tabs on your mental sharpness. The software doesn’t offer a diagnosis but instead builds a picture of your typical speech, sleep, and movement patterns, alerting you and your family when things begin to drift.
The monitoring tools tap into existing hardware like the Galaxy Watch’s accelerometer and the Ring’s motion sensors. Voice commands to Bixby are analyzed for signs of slurring or changes in speech cadence. Subtle tremors and gait variability are tracked passively during daily movement. The idea is to flag changes that often precede visible symptoms of cognitive decline.
In a slightly more ambient touch, Samsung is also watching how you interact with other connected devices in your home. For instance, if your response time to smart lights or media controls noticeably slows, it might prompt a check-in. These interaction metrics form part of a broader shift away from reactive health tools to something more proactive and preventative.
AI-powered alerts and brain training
AI sits at the heart of the system. A model learns your baseline over time, then looks for deviations. When it spots something unusual, the service sends alerts to both the user and selected contacts. There’s also a set of brain training tools built in, nudging users to stay cognitively active.
Samsung plans to link the Brain Health metrics to the Xealth platform it recently acquired. That means sharing your data with your doctor could be as simple as tapping a button, setting the stage for remote consultations around cognitive health.
Some of the insights tie into the kitchen as well. Samsung’s Bespoke appliances, especially its smart fridges, will reportedly serve up recipe suggestions aimed at supporting mental function, adapting based on detected trends.
Built with privacy and clinical testing in mind
To reassure users, Samsung is keeping everything local. Sensitive health data never leaves the device. Samsung Knox handles encryption and privacy, and a refreshed Knox Matrix is being used to lock down the AI models that power all this.
Development of the detection algorithms happened in-house, but Samsung has now partnered with medical institutions to validate the findings. The beta is launching in South Korea and the US first, and the company made clear this is not about replacing doctors but extending what health tech can do between visits.
This tracks with existing research. A multi-year study out of the University of Exeter showed AI models could predict onset of dementia with up to 92 percent accuracy using memory clinic data. The system even outperformed traditional methods and managed to catch misdiagnosed cases. It did this by picking up on patterns across test results, speech, reasoning, and daily habits that often elude human practitioners.
Samsung’s implementation appears to be heading in the same direction. By learning an individual’s normal speech and movement over time, the Galaxy ecosystem could provide a meaningful layer of early warning -ideally well before the condition becomes apparent in a clinical setting.
What’s next
The Brain Health service will roll out as a beta in the coming months. It arrives alongside broader health upgrades like vascular load tracking and antioxidant analysis. All of it ties into Samsung’s Care Companion strategy, which includes a wide range of chronic condition monitoring features already in development.
What makes this shift interesting is not just the use of AI, but the move to link consumer wearables with serious clinical outcomes. If the system works as intended, it could become part of how families first learn something might be wrong – hopefully long before a doctor is ever involved.
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