AI & The Future of Personalized Fitness with Jesse Shanahan

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword in fitness—it’s rapidly transforming how people train, recover, and sustain healthier lifestyles. From personalized workout plans to real-time performance tracking, AI is helping athletes, coaches, and everyday fitness enthusiasts achieve more than ever before.

In this episode of Sports CTO Talks, we sit down with Jesse Shanahan, CTO of VoR Technologies and a leading voice in AI innovation, ethics, and accessibility. With a unique background in astrophysics, linguistics, and machine learning, Jesse brings a fresh perspective on how AI can make fitness smarter, more inclusive, and deeply personalized.

In this conversation, we cover:

• How AI goes beyond traditional fitness tech

• The role of hyper-personalization in training

• Real-time data applications for workout optimization

• Balancing automation with human coaching

• Data privacy and security in AI fitness platforms

• Challenges in making AI solutions intuitive and user-friendly

• What the next 5 years look like for fitness technology

Whether you’re a sports tech founder, a coach, or a fitness enthusiast curious about the future, this blog will give you a front-row seat to the innovations shaping the next generation of fitness.

AI & The Future of Personalized Fitness with Jesse Shanahan

Ami (Host): Welcome to Sports CTO Talks. In this series, we will be connecting with industry leaders and technology experts from the sports industry, where we will simplify sports for all of you. I am Ami, your guide on this journey through the minds of amazing tech leaders who are shaping the future VoR of sports.

We will dive deep into discussions, innovating the industry from AI to cloud, from cybersecurity to sustainability. If it is tech, we are talking about it.

Today we have with us Jesse Shanahan, previously a machine learning developer with a focus on humanitarian uses of AI and AI ethics. Jesse is the CTO of VoR Technologies, the industry-leading source for personalized fitness and health automation.

With an academic background in applied linguistics and astrophysics, Jesse has contributed to research in the fields of technology, ethics, and extragalactic astrophysics. They hold a patent for cybersecurity applications of machine learning. In addition to research, Jesse co-founded the American Astronomical Society's working group on accessibility and disability.

Jesse is also an avid science communicator with publications in science magazines, Forbes, and Astronomy Magazine. Outside of work, they run a Twitch channel devoted to science education and are a proud dog parent to Tennessee and Hubble.

AI in Personalized Fitness

Ami (Host): Jesse, my first question to you on the podcast is: How does AI differentiate itself from traditional fitness technologies in personalizing workouts?

Jesse (Guest): Yeah, so I think the interesting thing about AI is that it offers a faster and a higher degree of personalization. So I think a lot of people are probably familiar with very old-school personal fitness apps that had just a set, like, all right, if you want to gain muscle, do this plan, and it was the same for everybody. What AI allows is that instead of everybody getting the same exact plan, it allows you to get plans that are tailored to you, to your specific needs, to your data.

And again, it can do that at speed, at scale, so it allows you to get a plan that's for you, even if you're not a professional athlete or you don't have access to a personal trainer or something like that. So it really increases personalization in that way.

Ami (Host): Like how and what is the role of AI in hyper-personalization?

Jesse (Guest): Yeah, so it depends on a couple of factors. So for example, if you have wearable data or some kind of device that can give you information about what your body's doing during exercise or during the day, AI can use that to personalize it, to give you some kind of program that works with your body, your specific data.

But also, it can be based on your own personal goals and your needs, right? So if you, for example, have physical limitations or some sort of other kind of limiting factor or just preference in general, that's something that AI can take into account. So not just what's happening in your body, but also what you want, what your goals are, what you enjoy. And so it's about really taking into account that data to personalize it for you as a whole human being, not just kind of someone who's using the app.

Ami (Host): How can AI use real-time data to optimize fitness plans?

Jesse (Guest): So again of course it depends on what data you have available. So for example, if you have a smartwatch, it can be things like heart rate or your distance walked, your steps, that kind of stuff. AI can take that data and then use it to see whether you're recovering, whether you're reaching your goals, and then adjust accordingly. So maybe you're hitting all of your targets, so it can increase the intensity of your workouts, or maybe you're under-recovering, so you're not sleeping enough or you're not resting enough, and then it can adjust your plan accordingly.

So the nice thing about AI is that it's fast and it's dynamic, so it doesn't have to wait for you to say, hey, I think this is too hard or too easy. It can notice it right away and change.

Ami (Host): How does AI help fitness go beyond just tracking steps or calories, since most people focus only on those?

Jesse (Guest): Yeah, so I think, you know, the CEO of VoR has this great saying where he talks about how AI is really the bridge between kind of the massive amount of data we have and what we actually need to do with it. And so I think a lot of people, you know, if you just look at raw data, like your step count, your calories, it doesn't really tell you much, right?

Like you may think, okay, I should just hit 10,000 steps a day, but what if your goal isn't, you know, general fitness? What if your goal is something else? Maybe you want to get stronger, maybe you want to work on a specific sport. Then AI can take that raw data and say, okay, well, this is where you are, here's where you want to be, here's how you get there, instead of just like, here's a bunch of random numbers. So I think it really helps people understand what the data means, what to do with it, and then use it to personalize.

Ami (Host): How important is data in providing the right information to users, and how can users benefit from it?

Jesse (Guest): So at least for us, we have kind of two paths. So on one hand, of course, we provide, you know, dashboards, interfaces, whatever, so people can see their data, but the real benefit is when the AI translates that into action for you. So instead of having to just interpret this raw data, it’s: okay, here's what that means for you, here's what you should do next, here's how you adjust your training plan.

So I think for users, it’s about not just having access to data but having it interpreted for them. Because otherwise, it can be overwhelming, right? Like you have all these numbers, but what does that mean for your goals? So the benefit is really in that translation.

Ami (Host): What are the steps to protect user data and help customers feel safe?

Jesse (Guest): So, I mean, there are a wide variety of best practices out there, right? Of course, we take into account encryption, anonymization, we don’t keep unnecessary data, we don’t share it, things like that. But a huge part of it too is transparency, so that users know what we’re doing with their data, why we’re collecting it, what it’s going to be used for.

And then also giving people control, right? Letting them say, I want to delete my data, I want to opt out, I don’t want this collected. So it’s not just about protecting it but also making sure users feel empowered about what’s happening with it.

Ami (Host): How do AI-driven platforms balance between automation and human coaching?

Jesse (Guest): Well, I think lots of different products have their own approach. Some are much more AI-driven and automated, and some are much more coach-driven with AI assisting them. For us, the way we’ve thought about it is that the AI can take over some of the more tedious or time-consuming tasks, like creating and adjusting plans, analyzing data, and then the human coach can spend more time doing the interpersonal part — talking to the person, encouraging them, supporting them, being there for them.

So instead of replacing the coach, the AI just kind of frees them up to do the parts that really matter that a machine can’t do.

Ami (Host): How can AI handle real-time adjustments during workouts?

Jesse (Guest): So that would depend, of course, on if it's just one person, if it’s a team setting, what kind of data you have. But yeah, for example, if you have access to something like heart rate monitoring or VO2 max, things like that, you can definitely use that data in real time to adjust, to say like, okay, this person’s heart rate is higher than it should be, let’s lower the intensity, or they’re under the target zone, let’s push them a little harder.

So absolutely — if you have access to data in real time, AI can help you change the workout as it’s happening.

Ami (Host): According to you, what are the biggest challenges in making AI fitness solutions truly intuitive and user-friendly?

Jesse (Guest): Oh, I like this question. So I think one of the challenges is definitely that people are coming into it with different levels of familiarity with tech. So, you know, some people are very comfortable using a smartwatch, using an app, some people are not. So you have to create something that works for a wide range of people.

The other big challenge is that AI can be kind of a black box, right? It’s not always clear to the user why it’s making the recommendations it’s making. So we really have to think about explainability — how do we make sure people understand what’s happening, why it’s happening, and that they trust it?

And then the third thing is inclusivity. Making sure that it’s not just designed for young, healthy, able-bodied people but that it works for people of all different backgrounds, abilities, goals, and limitations.

Ami (Host): The big question everyone asks — is AI going to replace humans?

Jesse (Guest): So yeah, this is, I know this is a question that’s on a lot of people’s minds. My answer is no, I don’t think so, at least not in this space. I think what AI is going to do is really act as a support tool. It can do the boring stuff, the repetitive stuff, the number crunching, the plan adjustments.

But when it comes to actual human connection — motivating people, understanding nuance, being there emotionally — that’s not something AI can do. So I think AI will replace certain tasks, but not people.

Ami (Host): How is AI integrating into wearables and IoT devices, and is it enhancing user experience?

Jesse (Guest): So I think that it can. I would say one of the things that I’ve seen is that AI can make wearables more useful. So instead of just being like, here’s a bunch of data, it can actually tell you what to do with it.

So in that sense, yeah, it’s enhancing user experience because it makes the device more actionable. But again, it has to be done in a way that’s user-friendly, transparent, and not overwhelming.

Ami (Host): Looking ahead, what do you see coming up in fitness tech over the next five years?

Jesse (Guest): Yeah, so I think in fitness specifically, we’re going to see much more of an emphasis on personalization, inclusivity, and accessibility. So I think AI is going to play a big role in making sure that people can get access to the kind of fitness that works for them.

I also think we’re going to see more integration with other parts of people’s lives — so not just workouts, but also sleep, nutrition, stress, mental health, the whole picture. And then, of course, better wearables, better sensors, more data to feed into all of this.

Rapid Fire Round

Ami (Host): AI-powered fitness coach or human personal trainer? Jesse (Guest): Human personal trainer.

Ami (Host): Smartwatch or smart fitness mirror? Jesse (Guest): Smartwatch.

Ami (Host): One fitness gadget you can’t live without? Jesse (Guest): My Garmin watch, especially for running and hiking.

Ami (Host): Morning workouts or late-night sessions? Jesse (Guest): Late-night sessions.

Ami (Host): HIIT or yoga? Jesse (Guest): HIIT.

Ami (Host): Best song to get pumped up? Jesse (Guest): Anything with a heavy dubstep beat.

Ami (Host): One workout you secretly hate but still do? Jesse (Guest): Pull-up training.

Ami (Host): If you had to create an AI fitness avatar, what would you name it? Jesse (Guest): Something nerdy and space-based — I once suggested “Warp Engine.”

Ami (Host): If you could train with any athlete, past or present, who would it be? Jesse (Guest): Serena Williams.

Ami (Host): AI-generated diet plans — yay or nay? Jesse (Guest): 100% no.

Final Note

Ami (Host): In 30 seconds — AI and the future of personalized fitness?

Jesse (Guest): AI will enable trainers to take on more clients, account for diverse goals and needs, and lower barriers to fitness. My hope is it will increase inclusivity and broaden access to the fitness market.

Ami (Host): Thank you, Jesse, for sharing your insights and joining us today.

Jesse (Guest): Of course, thank you so much for having me.

Ami (Host): To all listeners — let’s stay connected! For more on sports and technology, please share this episode with friends, family, and anyone who loves the future of sports. Until then, stay curious, stay inspired, and keep exploring.