Google Introduces AI-Powered ‘What People Suggest’ Feature for Health Discussions

New AI tool aims to summarise online health experiences, but experts caution against reliance on AI-generated medical advice.

Google has launched a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered feature, ‘What People Suggest,’ designed to help users compare health experiences by summarising online discussions about specific medical conditions.

Currently available only on mobile devices in the United States, the feature organizes user-generated health discussions into key themes, allowing people to explore insights shared by others with similar conditions.

According to Google, ‘What People Suggest’ is intended to make health-related searches more intuitive. "The feature will use AI to organize different perspectives from online discussions into easy-to-understand themes. For example, a person dealing with arthritis might want to know how others with this condition exercise. With this feature, they can quickly uncover real insights from people who also have the condition, with links to click out and learn more," the company stated in a blog post on March 18.

Alongside this update, Google has expanded its knowledge panels—information boxes that appear alongside search results—to cover thousands of additional health topics.

These knowledge panels now support multiple languages, including Spanish, Japanese, and Portuguese, aiming to make health information more accessible worldwide.

Additionally, the company has enhanced its AI Overviews, which generate summaries in response to health-related queries such as “How do I know if I have the flu?” Google claims these AI-generated insights can help users navigate common health concerns more efficiently.

Concerns Over AI-Generated Health Information

Despite the advancements, medical experts have raised concerns about the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated health summaries.

A study by The Senior List in 2024 found that a panel of medical experts deemed over 70% of AI-generated health overviews for more than 200 health-related searches risky.

The concerns revolve around the potential for misinformation, as AI models rely on existing online content, which may not always be medically accurate. Healthcare professionals continue to advise users to consult qualified doctors for medical concerns rather than relying solely on AI-generated insights.

Google’s Growing Focus on AI in Healthcare

Google has been actively integrating AI into healthcare applications. “With extraordinary advances in AI, we have an opportunity to reimagine the entire health experience,” said Dr Karen DeSalvo, Google’s Chief Health Officer.

In 2023, the company introduced MedLM, a suite of AI models designed to assist clinicians and researchers by generating summaries of doctor-patient interactions and supporting complex medical tasks.

Additionally, Google launched Vertex AI Search for Healthcare, enabling developers to create AI-powered applications that help medical professionals quickly access relevant information from vast medical databases.