In this case, Google has played strong and early. In fact, they pulled certain AI-generated health summaries entirely because of grave concerns that they were factually misleading. This decision comes after shocking allegations of deceitful advertising around important liver function tests. Such errors may put patients with significant hepatic impairment at risk by leading them to inaccurately conclude that they were free from disease.
The British Liver Trust is the leading liver health charity in the UK. As parents, they’ve protested against the effects of this disinformation campaign run amok. Vanessa Hebditch is director of communications and policy at the British Liver Trust. She highlighted the risks involved with spreading false health information. She emphasized that these AI Overviews often break down complex medical examinations. This over-simplification leads some people to downplay significant health threats.
Just like the healthcare experts who have called this misleading information “reckless” and “damning,” we’re alarmed and outraged at this latest maneuver. The false data reported by Google can have serious effects, especially for those in need of quick medical care. The Patient Information Forum is the UK’s leading advocate for effective, evidence-based health information. We have all seen their warnings about the trustworthiness of internet health information.
Sue Farrington, chair of the Patient Information Forum, said Google’s move was a “very good thing.” She noted that it is critical to build on this, to keep the pressure on. “This is a good result but only the first step to maintain trust in Google’s health-related search results,” she remarked.
The problem really came to light when Google’s AI Overviews started showing users the hot takes—overly simplified descriptions of third-party content—right at the top of result rankings. As digital marketing commentator Matt Southern noted, when health is at stake, mistakes are amplified.
In a statement provided to The Verge, a Google spokesperson defended their work on Earth. They explained that their internal team of clinicians closely reviewed the shared information and determined it to be inaccurate in many cases. Sadly, this claim has done little to ease fears of the risk for grave misinterpretations by unsuspecting users.
Vanessa Hebditch elaborated on the complications surrounding liver function tests (LFTs), stating, “A liver function test or LFT is a collection of different blood tests. Understanding the results and what to do next is complex and involves a lot more than comparing a set of numbers.” She highlighted that individuals can get normal test results even when they have advanced liver disease. This perfect storm leads to deadly, misleading complacency.
“In addition, the AI Overviews fail to warn that someone can get normal results for these tests when they have serious liver disease and need further medical care. This false reassurance could be very harmful.” – Vanessa Hebditch
“Removing these people-made obstacles to AI-generated health summaries has been heralded as a victory by many members of the healthcare community. “This is excellent news, and we’re pleased to see the removal of the Google AI Overviews in these instances,” Hebditch stated.
Victor Tangermann, a senior editor at Futurism, offered his perspective on the problem. He was careful to raise that Google undoubtedly has quite a bit left to do before it can ensure the trustworthiness of its health-related search results. Millions of adults around the world struggle to access trusted health information, making it imperative that platforms like Google uphold high standards for accuracy and reliability.