Google has quietly pulled a search feature that gathered health tips from everyday internet users and displayed them alongside search results. The feature, called “What People Suggest,” used AI to synthesize crowdsourced opinions on health topics and was removed without significant public fanfare. Its discontinuation was confirmed after inquiries revealed inconsistencies in how the company communicated the decision.
“What People Suggest” was unveiled at Google’s New York-based “The Check Up” event in March last year, positioned as a tool to surface genuine community experiences for people researching health issues. Karen DeSalvo, then leading Google’s health division, said the feature addressed a real user need: wanting to hear from people who had lived with the same conditions. Using AI, Google organized these community voices into thematic summaries with links for further reading.
The company’s defense of its removal decision has raised eyebrows among observers. A spokesperson stated the change was part of a search simplification process, not tied to safety or content quality concerns. Yet when asked to point to the public announcement, Google referenced a blog post that contained no reference whatsoever to “What People Suggest,” undermining the claim of transparency.
The incident is part of a wider pattern of Google facing criticism over AI-generated health content. An investigation this year found that AI Overviews on Google Search were providing users with misleading and potentially dangerous health information. With two billion monthly users exposed to those summaries, the stakes are high, and removing select features without explanation does little to address the underlying trust deficit.
Google remains committed to expanding its AI-driven health offerings, as evidenced by the upcoming “The Check Up” event featuring its current chief health officer. However, the gap between the company’s public positioning and its internal decisions is becoming harder to ignore. Until Google demonstrates genuine openness about failures, skepticism around its health technology efforts is likely to deepen.