An AI-powered feature on Google Search that surfaced health advice from ordinary internet users has been discontinued, and the company never made a clear public statement about it. “What People Suggest” used AI to curate and organize community health content from online discussions and present it to users alongside search results. Three informed sources confirmed the removal before Google acknowledged it to journalists.
Launched at Google’s annual health event in New York, the feature was presented by then-chief health officer Karen DeSalvo as a valuable tool for people seeking health information from peers. The feature used AI to group community health perspectives into themes and linked users to the original discussions. It was initially available to mobile users in the United States.
Google described the removal as part of search page simplification and stated that safety was not a factor. When the company was asked to produce documentation of a public announcement, it cited a blog post that made no reference to the discontinued tool. This attempt to paper over the absence of real communication has drawn sharp criticism.
The context includes an investigation earlier this year that found Google’s AI Overviews contained false and misleading health information reached by approximately two billion monthly users. Google’s limited response — removing AI Overviews for certain health topics — was characterized by health experts as inadequate.
With another health event approaching, Google is expected to make optimistic announcements about AI and medicine. But the company’s failure to communicate transparently about the removal of “What People Suggest” will not be easily forgotten. In the health AI space, actions speak louder than announcements, and Google still has important actions to take.