Google has quietly removed a search feature that used AI to compile health advice from everyday internet users. The product, known as “What People Suggest,” collected opinions and experiences shared in online communities and organized them for users seeking health information. Three people familiar with the matter confirmed the feature is no longer available, and Google’s public communication about the change was minimal at best.
Introduced at the annual “The Check Up” event in New York, the feature was pitched as a way to connect users with meaningful health experiences from people in similar situations. Karen DeSalvo, Google’s chief health officer at the time, wrote that users want more than clinical advice — they want to hear from people who have walked a similar path. The feature was released first to mobile users in the US, with plans for broader availability.
When confronted about the removal, Google attributed it to a page simplification initiative and explicitly denied safety concerns. The company directed journalists to a blog post as its public disclosure, but that post did not reference “What People Suggest” in any capacity. The lack of transparency stood in contrast to the fanfare with which the feature was originally launched.
The situation has emerged at a difficult time for Google’s health AI efforts. An earlier investigation found that AI Overviews, which reach two billion users each month, had been providing medically inaccurate summaries. In the wake of that report, Google pulled AI Overviews for some health-related searches, though the changes were seen as reactive and insufficient by health professionals.
Google continues to invest heavily in AI health technology and plans to present new initiatives at its upcoming “The Check Up” event. The company’s chief health officer Michael Howell is expected to discuss AI’s potential in global healthcare. Yet until Google shows it can manage failures with the same transparency it applies to successes, its credibility as a health technology leader will remain contested.