What just happened? Don't be surprised to find some of Google's AI Overviews conspicuously absent from certain medical searches. The company has removed several of these AI summaries following a report that found inaccurate information was being shown to users that could put their health at risk.
The Guardian reported at the start of January that AI Overviews, which are supposed to provide AI-generated summaries of search results, were putting people at risk by offering misleading health advice.
One example was the AI Overviews advising people with pancreatic cancer to avoid high-fat foods. Experts say this is exactly the opposite of what should be recommended, and may increase the patient's risk of death.
The summaries also showed incorrect information about crucial liver function tests, which could leave people with serious liver disease wrongly thinking they are healthy. Answers for women's cancer tests were also showing the wrong information, which experts say could cause people to dismiss serious symptoms.
Google claimed that the incorrect examples they were shown linked to well-known, reputable sources. But the company has now removed AI Overviews for several health queries.
Questions that no longer surface Google's AI feature include "what is the normal range for liver blood tests?" and "what is the normal range for liver function tests?"
A Google spokesperson said: "We do not comment on individual removals within Search. In cases where AI Overviews miss some context, we work to make broad improvements, and we also take action under our policies where appropriate."
While medical experts have welcomed the move, there are warnings that rephrasing these questions could still lead to misleading AI Overviews being generated. The Guardian found that only slight variations to the queries prompted the AI Overviews to appear.
It's also noted that several incorrect or misleading AI Overviews that appeared in the original Guardian report have not been removed, including summaries related to cancer and mental health. Google reiterated that these had not been removed because they link to well-known and reputable sources and informed people when it was important to seek out expert advice.
The AI Overviews feature has a history of generating information that ranges from false or misleading to utterly nonsensical. It famously told people to put glue on pizza to help the cheese stick, and to eat rocks, neither of which are particularly good for your health or teeth.
A report from September found that over 10% of Google AI Overviews cite AI-generated content.