Google has silently discontinued a search feature that used artificial intelligence to gather and display health advice from everyday internet users. The tool, called “What People Suggest,” was promoted as a way to help people find relatable medical experiences from others with similar health conditions. Three sources familiar with the matter confirmed the feature has been removed from Google’s platform.
The feature was announced at Google’s “The Check Up” health event in New York in March of last year. At the time, Google’s then-chief health officer Karen DeSalvo described it as a meaningful step forward in connecting users with real-world health experiences. The feature used AI to organize perspectives from online discussions into digestible themes and was initially available on mobile devices in the United States.
A Google spokesperson confirmed the removal but attributed it to a “broader simplification” of the search results page rather than any safety or quality concerns. However, when asked where this decision was publicly shared, the spokesperson pointed to a blog post from November that made no mention of the feature at all. This raised further questions about how transparently the company handled the rollout and removal.
The move comes at a sensitive time for Google, which is facing increased criticism over its AI-generated health summaries known as AI Overviews. An investigation earlier this year found that these summaries, which reach approximately two billion users monthly, contained false and misleading health information. Google removed AI Overviews for some medical queries following the investigation but maintained them for others.
As Google prepares for its next “The Check Up” event, the company continues to face scrutiny from health advocates and digital safety experts. Chief health officer Michael Howell is expected to discuss AI research and health innovation at the upcoming event. The quiet removal of “What People Suggest” has only intensified calls for greater accountability in how AI platforms handle sensitive health-related content.