Dexcom launches generative AI platform for Stelo users
The Dexcom logo is seen on a smartphone screen and in the background.
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Dexcom announced on Tuesday an artificial intelligence feature for its Stelo continuous glucose monitor that gives users personalized insight into the impact of meals, sleep and activity on their glucose levels. It’s the first iteration of a new generative AI platform the company has been building Google Cloud.
Stelo is an over-the-counter CGM that pierces the skin to measure blood sugar levels in real time. The sensor was launched in August and can be used by any adult who does not take insulin.
The report reflects Dexcom’s efforts to make Stelo more personalized and engaging for consumers as the company works to enter a new market.
“The main feedback we’re getting is that users want to see more,” said Jake Leach, chief operating officer at Dexcom, in an interview with CNBC. “They are making an investment and carrying the product, and they want to be able to get the most value out of all the data they generate.”
Dexcom uses Google’s Gemini models and its Vertex AI platform as the foundation for its new AI offering. Vertex AI allows developers to build applications that synthesize different types of data, which can be notoriously challenging in healthcare.
Leach said Dexcom is also exploring how its generative AI platform could be used in its other CGM products, but the company is taking a particularly cautious approach because of patients’ reliance on it to prevent medical emergencies.
“I really felt like Stelo was the right place for it for the first time,” he said.
An existing Insights report was already available to users in the Stelo app, but it followed a more standard template format each week. Dexcom expects the AI-generated report will be more valuable to users because it is personalized, Leach said.
If there is a week in which a user does not exercise enough, for example after eating, the report includes relevant tips and educational materials to help.
Stelo’s AI reports do not provide users with medical advice, although Dexcom used a U.S. Food and Drug Administration AI framework to guide development of the feature, Leach said. The FDA approved Stelo in March.
Ultimately, Dexcom wants to use its generative AI platform to provide users with real-time feedback rather than just weekly reports. The company is also exploring how the technology could serve as a predictive indicator of potential problems, similar to the check engine light on a car.
“It gives you a sense of what might be going on and gives you recommendations on where you should go for further advice,” said Chris Sakalosky, vice president of strategic industries at Google Cloud, in an interview with CNBC.
Dexcom’s updated weekly report was rolled out to Stelo users this week.
