A Google AI search feature that organized health advice from ordinary internet users has been removed from the platform. Known as “What People Suggest,” the tool used AI to group community health insights from online forums and make them available in search results. Three sources confirmed the removal, and Google acknowledged it after being approached for comment.
The tool was presented at “The Check Up,” Google’s health-focused event in New York, by then-chief health officer Karen DeSalvo. She wrote that the feature provided something users genuinely sought: the firsthand health experiences of people in similar situations. The feature organized forum discussions into themes and provided direct links to source content.
Google’s spokesperson stated the removal was about simplifying the search results interface and denied any connection to safety or quality. When the company’s cited public disclosure turned out to be a blog post that did not reference the feature, observers described the explanation as inadequate. One person with knowledge of the situation confirmed, “It’s dead.”
The removal is part of a difficult period for Google’s AI health products. An investigation earlier this year found that AI Overviews in Google Search contained false health information reaching billions of users monthly. Google removed AI Overviews from some health searches as a result, but the broader concern about the accuracy of AI health content on its platform remains unresolved.
Google is set to hold another health event, where its chief health officer Michael Howell will present new AI health advances. The company’s ability to make a credible case for AI’s role in healthcare will depend on demonstrating that its products are safe and its communications honest. The removal of “What People Suggest” is a difficult starting point, but an honest acknowledgment of what went wrong would be a meaningful step forward.