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Study Says YouTube Leads Sources in Google’s AI Health Summaries as Google Disputes Methodology

Google disputes the findings by pointing to medical channels on YouTube.

Overview

  • SE Ranking analyzed 50,807 German‑language health searches and found AI Overviews cited YouTube in 4.43% of references, more than any single medical site.
  • AI Overviews appeared on more than 82% of health queries in the snapshot, indicating any systemic sourcing pattern could affect many users.
  • Google argues the study misclassifies trustworthy sources and says 96% of the 25 most‑cited YouTube videos came from medical channels such as hospitals and clinics.
  • The report estimates about 34% of citations came from institutions it classed as trusted medical sources, with the remainder from general or commercial sites.
  • Researchers and outside experts warn that drawing from a general video platform poses structural safety risks, while noting the findings reflect a December 2025 German snapshot that may not generalize.