Marketplace Tech What AI fitness apps can and can't do — for now
6 snips
Feb 4, 2026 
Nicole Nguyen, personal tech columnist at The Wall Street Journal who tests consumer apps and devices. She compares AI fitness tools like Fitbit, Peloton and Apple Workout Buddy. She discusses cost and hardware trade-offs. She warns about hallucinations and glitches. She explores motivation, trainer impact, and what to watch next in form correction and AI meal tracking.
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Peloton Was Favorite But Costly
- Nicole Nguyen preferred Peloton for strength training because it provided form correction and motivation.
- She noted the Peloton bike and subscription are expensive, with the bike around $2,000 and $50 monthly.
AI Fitness Tools Still Hallucinate
- AI fitness features still hallucinate and produce errors like inventing moves or miscounting reps.
- Nicole described this as frustrating for non-tech-savvy users and a sign the technology is nascent.
Expect Higher Costs For Advanced AI Coaches
- Expect AI features to raise app costs because advanced coaches require paid subscription tiers.
- Use free AI chatbots to democratize basic training if you want low-cost starting points.