An AI feature from Google that offered users health suggestions gathered from online communities has been quietly removed from its search platform. “What People Suggest” was designed to let people benefit from the experiences of strangers who had navigated similar health challenges, organized into themes by AI. Multiple sources confirmed the feature has been taken offline, and Google’s acknowledgment of the fact left many unanswered questions.
The product was introduced during a major Google health event in New York in March of last year. Karen DeSalvo, who was then Google’s chief health officer, framed the feature as part of the company’s commitment to making health information more human and accessible. The feature pulled from online discussions and displayed organized community perspectives to mobile users in the United States.
In confirming the removal, Google stated it was part of a broader simplification effort affecting the search results page. The company was firm that safety and quality were not factors in the decision. When asked to provide proof of public communication about the change, Google pointed to a blog post by a Switzerland-based search advocate that made no mention of the discontinued feature.
The silence around this removal is particularly striking given the controversy surrounding Google’s AI health tools in recent months. A probe earlier this year found widespread inaccuracies in AI Overviews for health queries, exposing billions of users to potentially harmful misinformation. That investigation led Google to selectively roll back AI Overviews in the medical space, though not comprehensively enough to satisfy critics.
With another “The Check Up” event on the horizon, Google is again preparing to make the case for AI’s potential in healthcare. Chief health officer Michael Howell is expected to lead discussions on AI-driven health breakthroughs and new institutional partnerships. But without more transparent accountability for past missteps, Google may struggle to fully convince health professionals and users that its AI health tools can be trusted.