Google disables some AI Overviews health summaries for liver test queries

Google removed some AI Overviews health summaries for liver blood test queries after a Guardian investigation found false and misleading information that could put patients at risk.
Google disables some AI Overviews health summaries for liver test queries
A What happened
Google removed some AI Overviews health summaries and disabled specific liver blood test queries, including “what is the normal range for liver blood tests,” after experts contacted by The Guardian flagged the results as dangerous. The Guardian reported that AI Overviews provided raw liver test data tables without essential context and did not adjust figures for age, sex, and ethnicity, which experts warned could falsely reassure people with serious liver conditions. The Guardian also reported an AI Overview error on pancreatic cancer diet advice that contradicted standard guidance, and it said other potentially harmful answers remained accessible through query variations. Google told The Verge it invests in AI Overviews quality, said most are accurate, and said clinicians reviewed what was shared and found many instances were not inaccurate and were supported by high-quality websites.

Key insights

  • 1

    AI Overviews can mislead through authoritative summaries of flawed inputs: The system can summarize unreliable or spam-influenced top-ranked web results with an authoritative tone, and it can also draw incorrect conclusions even from accurate sources.

  • 2

    Query-level removals did not eliminate access to similar AI Overviews: Variations of liver test reference range queries still triggered AI Overviews, and The Guardian reported other potentially harmful answers remained accessible.

  • 3

    Liver test “normal ranges” require context beyond raw numbers: Vanessa Hebditch said liver function tests involve multiple blood tests and complex interpretation, and she said normal results can occur even with serious liver disease.

Takeaways

Google disabled AI Overviews for some liver blood test queries while other health-related AI Overviews flagged as potentially harmful remained accessible through other queries.

Topics

Technology & Innovation Artificial Intelligence Health & Medicine Medicine

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