Abbott launches AI-powered glucose tool Libre Assist, expanding its decade-long bet on algorithmic health insights

Abbott is doubling down on artificial intelligence in diabetes care, rolling out a new tool called Libre Assist that lets users snap a photo of their meal and get a prediction of how it will affect their glucose levels. The feature, launched on January 5, 2026 at CES, represents the latest step in what the company says has been more than a decade of embedding algorithmic AI into its FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitoring platform. The tool works like a nutritionist living inside your phone. Point your camera at a plate of pasta, and Libre Assist uses image recognition to assess the meal, then rates it on a green, yellow, or orange scale based on its predicted glucose impact. It also provides personalized dietary recommendations, turning raw data into something a user can actually act on before the first bite. A decade of AI, no outside help needed Abbott executives have emphasized that the company’s use of AI in glucose monitoring is not new. The FreeStyle Libre platform has incorporated algorithmic intelligence for over ten years, quietly crunching glucose data in the background to deliver insights to users and clinicians. Libre Assist is the most consumer-facing expression...