Google Search no longer features an AI tool that organized health advice from online community discussions, the company confirmed. “What People Suggest” used AI to curate and present health perspectives from anonymous internet contributors and was displayed to users searching for health information. Three informed sources confirmed the removal before Google offered its official acknowledgment.
The feature was introduced publicly at a health event in New York where Karen DeSalvo, then Google’s chief health officer, promoted it as a meaningful addition to health search. She described the feature as a reflection of the reality that people want community-based health experiences alongside expert medical information. The AI curated content from online health forums and presented it in an organized, accessible format.
Google attributed the removal to a simplification of the search results page and denied that safety or quality played a role. But the blog post offered as evidence of a public announcement made no reference to the feature, raising questions about the accuracy of the company’s account. Critics have characterized the handling of the removal as evasive.
The backdrop includes a major investigation earlier this year documenting how AI Overviews on Google Search were delivering false health information to around two billion monthly users. Google removed AI Overviews from some health queries in response, though health professionals described the move as insufficient given the scale of the problem.
With its next health event scheduled, Google will have an opportunity to reframe its approach to AI health products. But rebuilding credibility will require more than new announcements — it will require honest reckoning with what has failed, including the handling of “What People Suggest.” Accountability is not optional when the subject is people’s health.
