Google Removes AI Overviews for Certain Medical Queries Amid Accuracy Concerns
Google has removed AI-generated Overviews from certain health-related search queries following reports that the feature provided potentially misleading information. The decision comes after an investigation by the Guardian found that AI Overviews sometimes presented medical information, such as normal liver blood test ranges, without accounting for factors like age, sex, ethnicity, or nationality, which could mislead users about their health.
The Guardian reported that queries like “what is the normal range for liver blood tests” and “what is the normal range for liver function tests” no longer display AI Overviews. However, variations of these searches, such as “lft reference range” or “lft test reference range,” may still trigger AI-generated summaries, although recent tests showed these also did not display AI Overviews, instead highlighting related news articles.
A Google spokesperson told the Guardian that the company does not comment on individual search removals but is working on “broad improvements.” The company added that an internal team of clinicians reviewed the flagged queries and found that “in many instances, the information was not inaccurate and was also supported by high-quality websites.” Google has also been updating its healthcare search tools, including AI models focused on health, to improve the reliability of medical information.
Health experts have welcomed the change but cautioned that it is only a small step toward addressing broader concerns about AI in healthcare. Vanessa Hebditch, director of communications and policy at the British Liver Trust, described the removal as “excellent news” but emphasized that “Google can just shut off the AI Overviews for that single search result, but it’s not tackling the bigger issue of AI Overviews for health.”
As AI continues to play a growing role in search and information delivery, these developments highlight the ongoing challenge of ensuring that technology provides accurate and context-sensitive health guidance. Users are advised to cross-check AI-generated information with trusted medical sources and consult healthcare professionals when interpreting results.
source: techcrunch