Google Removes AI Health Overviews After Experts Warn of Patient Risk

The issue came to light after searches related to liver blood tests produced AI-generated summaries that listed numerical “normal ranges” without adequate clinical context.

Google has removed certain AI health summaries from its search results after an investigation found that users may have been exposed to inaccurate medical information, potentially putting patient safety at risk.

Google’s AI Overviews, designed to provide quick snapshots of information at the top of search results, have come under renewed scrutiny for oversimplifying complex health data and offering false reassurance.

The issue came to light after searches related to liver blood tests produced AI-generated summaries that listed numerical “normal ranges” without adequate context.

Experts said such information could be “dangerous” and “alarming” because liver function tests vary depending on factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, laboratory standards, and clinical history. Without this context, people with serious liver disease could mistakenly believe their results were normal and delay seeking medical care.

Following the findings, Google removed AI Overviews for the specific queries “what is the normal range for liver blood tests” and “what is the normal range for liver function tests.”

A Google spokesperson said, “We do not comment on individual removals within Search. In cases where AI Overviews miss some context, we work to make broad improvements, and we also take action under our policies where appropriate.”

Health organisations welcomed the move but warned that it does not address the wider problem.

Vanessa Hebditch, director of communications and policy at the British Liver Trust, said: “This is excellent news, and we’re pleased to see the removal of the Google AI Overviews in these instances.” She added that similar queries phrased differently could still trigger AI summaries and remain misleading.

The controversy highlights a broader challenge in digital health: balancing accessibility with accuracy. Google commands about 91% of the global search engine market, giving its AI-driven features enormous influence over how people access health information.

Sue Farrington, chair of the Patient Information Forum, welcomed the removals but said more action is needed to protect public trust. “This is a good result, but it is only the very first step in what is needed to maintain trust in Google’s health-related search results,” she said, noting that millions of people already struggle to find reliable health information.

Despite the changes, AI Overviews continue to appear for other sensitive topics, including cancer and mental health, which experts have previously described as “completely wrong” and “really dangerous.”

Google said its internal clinicians reviewed those examples and found many were supported by high-quality sources, but the debate underscores ongoing concerns about how artificial intelligence should be used in healthcare-related searches.

Stay tuned for more such updates on Digital Health News