Google removes AI overviews from some medical searches after false health information sparks backlash

Google has removed its AI overiviews for some health related queries after a recent report by The Guardian found that some of these searches were putting people at risk of harm by giving false and misleading information. Notably, AI Overviews is Google's feature that uses generative to provide summarized information on top of a search result instead of a compilation of links.

The tech giant had reportedly removed the AI Overviews for terms like “what is the normal range for liver blood tests” and “what is the normal range for liver function tests”. However, it seems like typing variations of these medical searches with slight modifications like “lft reference range” or “lft test reference range” did still bring up AI Overviews.

The Guardian found that typing slight variations of the original queries into Google, such as “lft reference range” or “lft test reference range”, prompted AI Overviews.

Reportedly, Google's AI had given false information about liver function test by makin them think they were healthy. Meanwhile, the AI Overviews had also wrongly advised people with pancreatic cancer to avoid high-fat food which is said to be the exact opposite of what shold be the recommendation and could even increase the risk of patients dying from the disease.

Google while responding to The Guardian about the removal of some AI overviews said, “We do not comment on individual removals within Search. In cases where AI Overviews miss some context, we work to make broad improvements, and we also take action under our policies where appropriate.”

Notably, AI overviews are still available for some of the other medical queries about cancer and mental health which reportedly gave wrong and dangerous information to users. Google,however, told the publication that it didn't remove these because they linked to well-known and reputable sources.

“Our internal team of clinicians reviewed what’s been shared with us and found that in many instances, the information was not inaccurate and was also supported by high quality websites.” it added

Google's AI Overviews troubles:
Notably, this is not the first time that AI Overviews has landed Google in trouble. The feature had become controversial shortly after its launch in May last year after it recommended users to add glue to pizza to keep cheese from sliding off and eating one small rock a day for vitamins. The company had to pull down the feature for sometime before it brought it back with some changes.

However, AI Overviews has still put Google in the hot seat from time to time. For instance, the AI Overivews when asked ‘Is 2027 next year’ had recenty replied: “2026 is next year and 2027 will be the year after that,”