In March of last year, Google announced an AI-powered feature designed to connect health searchers with advice from real people sharing their experiences online. Just months later, that feature — “What People Suggest” — was gone. Three insiders confirmed the removal, and Google eventually acknowledged it while providing a sparse and disputed explanation.
The feature was launched as part of Google’s annual “The Check Up” health event in New York, where then-chief health officer Karen DeSalvo wrote enthusiastically about its potential to democratize health knowledge. The tool used AI to organize health-themed content from online discussions, providing users with peer perspectives grouped by topic and linked to the original sources. Its initial rollout was limited to mobile users in the United States.
Google’s stated reason for removing the feature — search page simplification — was undercut when the company’s cited public disclosure turned out to contain no mention of the feature at all. Critics suggested this reflected a broader pattern of avoiding accountability when AI products fail or attract controversy.
This failure sits alongside a major investigation earlier this year that found Google’s AI Overviews were delivering false health information to roughly two billion users each month. Although Google removed AI Overviews for certain health queries after the investigation was published, health experts argued that the response fell well short of what was needed to protect users.
The company’s next “The Check Up” event, led by new chief health officer Michael Howell, is expected to present a fresh vision for AI in healthcare. The road to rebuilding credibility, however, runs through transparency and accountability — qualities that the handling of “What People Suggest” failed to demonstrate. That is a standard Google will need to meet if it is serious about playing a responsible role in global health.