AI is now an inescapable part of daily life, from ChatGPT to Grok.
Google also uses AI in search engine. When you look something up, Google often provides highly visible AI summaries. These AI overviews cover topics like shopping, historical facts, and news, giving people quick, direct answers.
People often use Google to search for health-related questions or concerns. However, a recent report from The Guardian showed that Google AI Overviews can be inaccurate and misleading.
The Guardian’s Report
The Guardian’s report showed that the AI overviews were not just inaccurate but could put people at risk. Experts described it as “really dangerous.”
For example, Google’s AI overviews stated that people with pancreatic cancer should avoid high-fat foods. However, this turned out to be false as experts have stated that fat foods are allowed, but only if they are healthy fat foods such as fish, nuts, and avocados. Avoiding fatty foods in general could also increase the risk of patients dying from pancreatic cancer.
The Guardian also reported an “alarming” example when they reported Google’s AI overviews provided false information about crucial liver function tests that could leave people with serious liver disease wrongly thinking they are healthy.
The report also stated that Google AI Overviews provides “completely wrong” information about women’s cancer tests, which experts said could result in people dismissing genuine symptoms.
This isn’t the first time The Guardian reported on AI providing false information. In November 2024, they reported that AI chatbots gave inaccurate financial advice.
Experts told The Guardian that Google’s AI Overview was said to be normal, but may not be considered normal. As a result, patients who are ill could think they are fine, but they may not be. Or they could think they had a normal test result and not bother to attend follow-up checkups.
One thing to note is that the AI overviews did not account for very important factors when it came to health searches. That included age, ethnicity, nationality, or sex. When it comes to blood tests, these are important because they vary among certain age groups, nationalities, and so on.
What did Google do and what did they say? What about health experts?
After The Guardian released their initial article on Google AI overviews providing false information, Google removed Overviews for the search terms “what is the normal range for liver blood tests” and “what is the normal range for liver function tests.”
A spokesperson from Google told The Guardian: “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 act under our policies where appropriate.”
A few health experts also spoke to The Guardian about this. One of these was Vanessa Hebditch, the director of communications and policy at the British Liver Trust, a liver health charity.
“This is excellent news, and we’re pleased to see the removal of the Google AI Overviews in these instances,” said Hebditch. “However, if the question is asked in a different way, a potentially misleading AI Overview may still be given, and we remain concerned that other AI‑produced health information can be inaccurate and confusing.”
Another health expert who spoke to The Guardian was Sue Farrington. She is the chair of the Patient Information Forum, which promotes evidence-based health information to patients, the public, and healthcare professionals.
She was also pleased with the removal of the summaries, but still shared concerns about Google’s AI.
“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,” said Farrington. “There are still too many examples out there of Google AI Overviews giving people inaccurate health information. That’s why it is so important that Google signposts people to robust, researched health information and offers of care from trusted health organizations.”
What can we learn from this?
As AI gets more prevalent in our daily lives, it is important to remember this: AI is a tool that can be used to assist you, but it is your job as a human to put in the work and think for yourself.
While AI is great at providing quick information that is easy to access, it is also important to remember that it can make mistakes and provide misinformation. After all, an AI tool is not human.
When searching for anything related to health (or literally, anything else), it is important to read the AI overview carefully. Then, do some research on the answers. You can start by clicking the links the Google AI overview provides, scrolling down, and clicking on the websites that pop up, or simply doing another Google search, or doing all three. If all else fails, consult an expert.
AI can help you get the answers you are looking for, but it is always important to double-check, especially when it comes to your health.
