Google has discontinued a search feature that converted online forum discussions into organized health advice using artificial intelligence. The tool, named “What People Suggest,” was designed to present community health perspectives alongside traditional search results for users with medical queries. Three insiders confirmed the removal, and Google later acknowledged it while offering an explanation that failed to satisfy critics.
Introduced at Google’s “The Check Up” health event in New York, the feature was presented by then-chief health officer Karen DeSalvo as a way to make health search feel more human. She argued that users benefit from hearing the experiences of people who have faced similar health challenges, not just from reading expert-authored content. The feature was made available to mobile users in the United States first.
When confirming the removal, Google stated it was part of a search page simplification effort and not related to quality or safety concerns. However, the blog post cited as the company’s public disclosure of the change made absolutely no mention of “What People Suggest.” This gap has been widely noted as a failure of transparent communication.
The incident overlaps with broader concerns about Google’s AI health content. An investigation earlier in the year found that Google’s AI Overviews were providing false and misleading health information to approximately two billion monthly users. In response, Google removed some medical AI Overviews, though the move was described by health professionals as piecemeal.
As Google’s next health event approaches, the company will once again present a forward-looking vision of AI and health. But the credibility of that vision depends on honest engagement with the failures of the recent past. The abrupt and opaque handling of “What People Suggest” is precisely the kind of episode that undermines public trust in AI health products.
Google Pulls AI Feature That Turned Internet Forum Posts Into Medical Guidance
