Google disables AI Overviews for specific health-related queries after renewed scrutiny over the accuracy of its AI-generated medical information. The move follows a recent investigation that raised concerns about how automated summaries could mislead users searching for health guidance.
Investigation Triggers Swift Changes
An investigation by The Guardian revealed that Google’s AI Overviews were providing questionable responses to certain medical questions. One highlighted example involved searches such as “what is the normal range for liver blood tests.” According to the report, the AI-generated answers offered numerical ranges without considering key variables like age, sex, ethnicity, or nationality—factors that are crucial for interpreting medical test results. This omission risked giving users false reassurance about their health.
AI Overviews Removed from Key Queries
After the findings were published, Google appears to have acted quickly. The Guardian later confirmed that AI Overviews no longer appear for searches like “what is the normal range for liver blood tests” and “what is the normal range for liver function tests.”
However, the change was not entirely comprehensive. Variations of those queries—such as “LFT reference range”—were still, at least initially, capable of triggering AI-generated summaries. This inconsistency raised further questions about how Google decides which health-related searches are safe for AI summarization.
Mixed Results for Users
Independent checks conducted hours after the report showed that these related queries no longer produced AI Overviews either. Instead, users were often directed to traditional search results, with one of the top links being The Guardian’s own article about the removal. Google still offered the option to rephrase the question using its AI Mode, suggesting the feature itself has not been fully disabled.
Google Responds, Critics Remain Cautious
A Google spokesperson told The Guardian that the company does not comment on individual removals within Search, emphasizing instead its ongoing efforts to make broad improvements. The spokesperson added that an internal team of clinicians reviewed the highlighted queries and found that, in many cases, the information was not inaccurate and was supported by reputable sources.
Meanwhile, TechCrunch has reached out to Google for further clarification. The company previously announced new healthcare-focused updates to Google Search, including improved overviews and specialized AI models.
Calls for a Bigger Rethink
Despite welcoming the removals, concerns persist. Vanessa Hebditch, director of communications and policy at the British Liver Trust, described the move as “excellent news.” Still, she warned that disabling AI Overviews for a handful of searches does not address the broader risks of using AI-generated summaries for health information.
As Google disables AI Overviews for specific health-related queries, the debate continues over whether AI should play a role at all in delivering medical guidance—or whether the potential for misunderstanding simply outweighs the benefits.
