- Some health searches no longer show AI summaries.
- Concerns centred on oversimplified medical ranges.
- AI health answers remain available through other tools.
Google has stopped displaying its AI-generated summaries, known as AI Overviews, for certain health-related search queries, after concerns were raised about the accuracy of medical information being presented.
The change follows an investigation by The Guardian, which found that AI Overviews sometimes returned simplified answers that could be misleading for users trying to understand medical test results.
Medical nuance missing
According to the report, searches such as “what is the normal range for liver blood tests” produced AI summaries that listed basic numerical ranges. These answers did not factor in variables such as age, sex, ethnicity or nationality, all of which play a key role in interpreting medical data.
Health experts reportedly warned that people could wrongly assume their results were normal based on these summaries, potentially delaying further medical advice or tests. After the report was published, those specific queries no longer displayed AI Overviews. Instead, users were shown standard search results, in some cases led by the Guardian’s own investigation.
However, similar searches, including “LFT reference range”, continued to generate AI summaries, suggesting the removal applied only to selected queries rather than medical searches as a whole.
Follow-up checks carried out several hours after the article appeared confirmed that the AI summaries had been removed for the highlighted search terms.
AI still accessible
While AI Overviews were taken down for some searches, Google’s separate AI Mode continued to allow users to ask the same medical questions and receive AI-generated responses. This indicates that AI-driven health information remains available through other parts of Google Search.
Google did not comment on the removal of individual summaries. A company spokesperson reportedly told the Guardian that Google does not discuss specific changes to Search features but regularly reviews and improves AI Overviews.
The spokesperson added that an internal review by Google clinicians found most AI Overview content to be accurate and supported by reliable sources, as quoted in a news report.
The move comes as AI tools expand their role in health-related information. Earlier, OpenAI announced that ChatGPT had added a dedicated health tab designed to handle medical questions and personal health records.
Google has continued to deepen the use of artificial intelligence across Search, including healthcare-focused models and enhanced summary tools introduced last year. However, the episode underlines a persistent challenge for health-related AI: while summaries can make information easier to access, even small gaps or oversimplifications can carry real-world consequences
