What Are Some Useful Lifestyle AI Apps?

Image generated in Perplexity by Lisa Pierpont.

Little Miss AI is a recurring AI advice column. Have a question? Email us!

Dear Little Miss AI,

I try hard to keep up with the cutting-edge AI stuff, but I would like to know if there are any buzzy AI apps catching your eye.

Ben R., Roslindale

Jeez, Ben, nothing like a specific question (joking). Every week, there are zillions of new apps, categories, technology…I could go on and on. So many, in fact, that they already may be “old news” by the time you read this column. So heads up on that.

Assuming you’re not talking about buzzy astrophysics apps, I’ve decided to narrow this down to AI-powered platforms that can help you design the perfect weekend. Personally, my dream day off includes something spiritual, athletic, cultural, and yummy.

Dining

Boston’s wiz kid Paul English (a.k.a. founder of Kayak and Boston Venture Studios, among others) leads the pack here with his newest creation, Wellagram, a health-minded AI tool for foodies. Snap a photo of your desired food or meal, and Wellagram will use artificial intelligence to calculate the amount of protein and calories in it. Wild, right?

For the super visually minded home cooks, executive chef Alavee Hassan at Trade loves to tap on to StarryAI, a prompt-based photo generation app. “It allows me to experiment with how a dish and its components might look visually before I actually create it in the kitchen,” she says. “It’s been a fun and useful way to bring ideas to life and practice a bit of creative visualization.”

Another great resource is GroceryAI. The next time you’re inhaling the best pasta Bolognese you’ve ever had in your life, grab a pic. Then upload it to the app, which will produce the complete recipe, including price-comparing specific ingredients at different supermarkets.

Finally, if you have zero interest in cooking during your leisure time, take heart. There’s Dinemait, touted as a personal culinary concierge. Prompted by your vibe, Dinemait generates restaurant recommendations, books reservations, records your favorites, and shares your reviews with your friends

Relaxation

Proof of the fact that the world is getting more chaotic by the day? Grand View Research reports the global AI mental health market was $1.13 billion in 2023 and could reach $5.08 billion by 2030, growing about 24 percent yearly. Yoga and meditation teacher and Bostonian Isabella Langan has jumped on the bandwagon with a Zen-friendly solution to everyday stress: personalized meditation. Anytime. Anywhere. Any mood. MyFlowState is an AI-powered tool that forms a practice around what you are feeling and need in real time, guided by natural human voices. In beta form now, MyFlowState will soon offer a marketplace where healers can showcase their services, among other features.

Waking Up is also a strong calm-down resource, blending mindfulness with sessions on science, consciousness, and philosophy. And for the ultimate lullaby at night, tap SnailSleep, which uses proprietary AI to record sleep patterns, breathing, and snoring sounds for non-invasive markers of sleep apnea. Brand-new elements include medical reports, smart alarms, sleep talk recording, and individualized sleep scores.

Fitness

Looking to get healthy before resolution season? There’s a slew of recently launched AI-powered fitness apps that are, simply put, epic. Fitbod customizes strength-training based on your workout history. Vi Training offers voice-guided coaching for cycling and running, and even tweaks exercise plans based on your heart rate and speed. For nutritional feedback, fire up MyFitnessPal, which studies your food and exercise information, and recommends fitness-friendly diet tips. Finally, Onyx Fitness uses AI motion tracking to assess your exercise form and reduce injury. In other words, forget the I-can’t-work-out excuses; AI is onto you.

But the real mind-is-blown technology that just crossed my desk is the locally-made Neurable, created by Adam Molnar and cofounder Ramses Alcaide. Sure, the product is just a set of headphones—but wrap them around your ears and prepare to unlock your brain. Equipped with real-time biofeedback, you can see when your brain is in full focus or tired. Then, you can experiment with what refreshes your mind. Hint: social media? God, no. Exercise? Divine reset.

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Previously: How Can I Make AI Work for Me?