A search feature from Google that displayed health opinions from anonymous internet users, organized using AI, has been removed from the platform. “What People Suggest” was designed to let users benefit from community-sourced health perspectives alongside traditional search results. Three people with direct knowledge confirmed the removal, and Google acknowledged it while providing a disputed explanation.
The feature was launched at Google’s health-focused event in New York by then-chief health officer Karen DeSalvo, who described it as a meaningful innovation in how users access health information. She wrote that the tool was built to reflect the reality that users want both clinical and peer perspectives when searching for health information. The AI organized online community discussions into navigable categories.
Google’s spokesperson denied safety was a factor in the removal, framing it as a search simplification measure. When the company’s cited public announcement turned out to be a blog post with no mention of the discontinued feature, critics highlighted the inconsistency. The handling of the removal has been described as opaque.
The backdrop includes an investigation that found Google’s AI Overviews were serving false health information to roughly two billion users monthly. Although Google removed some medical AI Overviews in response, health professionals described the adjustment as insufficient.
Google is scheduled to host another “The Check Up” event, where it will present new health AI developments. The company’s challenge will be to demonstrate that its health AI products are backed by robust safety standards and transparent communication. The story of “What People Suggest” is a reminder of what happens when those standards are not met.