Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Google Pulls AI Overviews for Specific Health Searches After Accuracy Concerns

Google frames the move as part of broader fixes informed by an internal clinician review.

Overview

  • AI Overviews no longer appear for queries such as “what is the normal range for liver blood tests” and “what is the normal range for liver function tests,” following a Guardian investigation into misleading medical answers.
  • Early retests found variant phrasings could still trigger summaries, indicating selective removals, while subsequent checks confirmed the named liver-test queries remained without AI Overviews.
  • Google declined to discuss specific takedowns and said it makes broad improvements when context is missing, noting its clinicians found many highlighted summaries were supported by reputable sources.
  • Health groups warned the snapshots can give dangerous false reassurance because lab ranges and treatment advice depend on factors like age, sex, ethnicity, and test methods.
  • Examples cited by experts included incorrect liver test ranges and harmful guidance for pancreatic cancer patients, even as Google’s separate AI Mode continued offering AI-generated health answers.