Google Adjusts AI Overviews in Response to Medical Query Concerns
In a recent development, Google has modified its AI Overviews feature following concerns about the accuracy of health-related information provided in response to specific medical queries. This action comes after an investigation by The Guardian highlighted instances where AI-generated summaries offered potentially misleading data.
The Guardian’s investigation revealed that when users searched for what is the normal range for liver blood tests, the AI Overviews presented numerical ranges that did not consider variables such as nationality, sex, ethnicity, or age. This oversight could lead individuals to misinterpret their test results as normal when they might not be.
In response, Google appears to have removed AI Overviews for certain queries, including what is the normal range for liver blood tests and what is the normal range for liver function tests. However, variations of these queries, such as lft reference range or lft test reference range, may still trigger AI-generated summaries.
Upon testing these queries, it was observed that AI Overviews were absent, though users were still given the option to explore the same questions in AI Mode. In some instances, the top search result was The Guardian’s article discussing the removal of these AI Overviews.
A Google spokesperson stated that the company does not comment on individual removals within Search but emphasized their commitment to make broad improvements. The spokesperson also mentioned that an internal team of clinicians reviewed the highlighted queries and found that in many instances, the information was not inaccurate and was also supported by high-quality websites.
This move aligns with Google’s ongoing efforts to enhance the reliability of health-related information. Previously, the company introduced features aimed at improving Google Search for healthcare use cases, including enhanced overviews and health-focused AI models.
Vanessa Hebditch, Director of Communications and Policy at the British Liver Trust, welcomed the removal as excellent news. However, she expressed a broader concern, stating, Our bigger concern with all this is that it is nit-picking a single search result and Google can just shut off the AI Overviews for that, but it’s not tackling the bigger issue of AI Overviews for health.
This situation underscores the challenges tech companies face in balancing the provision of AI-generated information with the need for accuracy, especially in sensitive areas like health. As AI continues to play a significant role in information dissemination, ensuring the precision and reliability of such data remains paramount.
