Finding close connections across data types, like Amazon’s recommendations scaled up.
Multimodal AI is more of a discovery tool. Different data modalities are stored by the AI, and once a new data point is input, the AI finds topics that are close. For example, inputting sleep data from a smartwatch alongside information about atrial fibrillation episodes might find indications of sleep apnea. This is the scaled-up version of what Amazon popularized: “people who shopped for this item also bought this item.” In this case, it becomes “People with this type of sleep pattern have also been diagnosed with AFIB.”
— Multimodal AI In 2025: From Healthcare To eCommerce And Beyond · Forbes