Tech vs. trainers: How AI is shaping the future of fitness

Does the business case stack up?

With AI evolving quickly, how long does the humble human PT have left?

You lie on the ground, lacking even the energy to flop your miserable, exhausted body over. Your arms and legs quiver and you whimper quietly at the thought of standing as a metal foot crunches onto the ground next to you. A scarlet-eyed chrome skull leans in close, and that hated voice rings through the air.

“Move it meatbag! One more rep before you’re done!”

This isn’t quite the reality of AI and fitness just yet, but could it be in the future? It’s a possibility Milan Juza, The Gym Group CTO, is aware of.

Today, The Gym Group – which operates more than 240 locations around the UK, 24/7 - is working on early AI experiments, but remains savvy to concerns around the technology.

“We use gen AI very actively today in different parts of the business, from things like GitHub Copilot...to optimising the way we write job adverts, and really trying to make sure that the language is as in-line with our brand proposition and with the tone of voice that we're interested in.”

Gen AI is distinct to agentic AI, which could – in the far future, and possibly after the development of Skynet – evolve into the scenario above. It’s one of the 35 areas the company has identified where AI could make a difference to its operations.

For now, those areas aren’t in fitness and training, but reserved for office functions like customer service, where the vast majority of enquiries are purely digital – which Milan says is "perfect ground for using AI to help process these and engage with members more quickly, but also more consistently.”

While The Gym Group’s tech team is looking into many areas where AI could be useful, they’re also treating the technology cautiously.

“What we're trying to do is not say, ‘We have a tool here. Let's find a solution for it.’ We're trying to say, ‘What is the business problem we are trying to solve, what extent does AI play a role in it, and how do we use this safely?’”

“Safely” in this context means avoiding things like cybersecurity issues, so The Gym Group is only turning to AI where it makes sense.

“We’re very conscious that some of these services radiate data relatively easily into the ether.”

And how about AI agents? This evolution of the technology promises bots that can act independently and perform tasks for you, like booking a gym class or planning a workout routine (and, unlike generative chatbots, potentially learning from your progress).

There's a long road ahead for AI agents, but the technology is developing – and being pushed - quickly, so IT leaders need to be prepared. The day before we met, Milan and his team had spent a whole afternoon discussing agentic AI.

“It is interesting, but also a challenging topic for a business like ours. Personal trainers are a huge part of the business, most people love them, people like that human interaction, and so bringing in AI and saying, ‘By the way, we don't need that anymore,’ would not be the right answer.”

Still, he acknowledges that people will eventually start to demand tailored, customised workout plans delivered via AI, and it’s important to be able to recognise when it makes sense to introduce something like that.

AI’s role in fitness is still evolving, and businesses like The Gym Group have to tread carefully. As Milan says, “It remains to be seen whether the business case stacks up.”

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