Google has dropped an AI feature from its search engine that collected and organized health advice from amateur online communities. Known as “What People Suggest,” the feature drew on internet forum discussions to provide users with thematic health insights curated by AI. The removal was confirmed by three people familiar with the matter and later acknowledged by Google.
The feature was unveiled at “The Check Up,” Google’s annual health event in New York. Then-chief health officer Karen DeSalvo described it as a way to bring community health wisdom into search, complementing expert medical content with authentic peer experiences. Mobile users in the United States had access to the feature first.
Google’s spokesperson stated the removal was part of search page simplification and categorically denied safety was a concern. But the blog post cited as evidence of public disclosure failed to mention the discontinued feature. One person familiar with the decision described it simply as “dead.”
The removal fits into a challenging year for Google’s AI health operations. An investigation found that AI Overviews in Google Search were circulating false health information to two billion users monthly. Though Google removed AI Overviews from some health topics in response, health professionals pushed for broader reform.
Google’s upcoming health event will feature new AI health research and partnerships. Whether observers receive those announcements with confidence will depend on whether the company demonstrates genuine progress in transparency and safety — areas where its handling of “What People Suggest” fell notably short.