Artificial intelligence (AI) announcements are a dime a dozen at the moment so don’t panic if you didn’t notice this one. But start panicking afterwards. Google is planning to give you medical advice. Yes, medical advice, based solely on what other people have searched for. This “crowdsourced” information is now being interpreted by Google’s AI Overview service – and its results are being displayed under a new “What People Suggest” heading when you search.
What could go wrong?
Google doesn’t think you have to worry, obviously.
“While people come to Search to find reliable medical information from experts, they also value hearing from others who have similar experiences,” it explains in a blog post. “Using AI, we’re able to organise different perspectives from online discussions into easy-to-understand themes, helping you quickly grasp what people are saying.”
Call me old-fashioned, but when I want medical advice, I seek out a medical professional. Doctors, nurses, physios, chiropractors, and pharmacists are always going to be a better bet. But, what if you can’t afford to ask one of them, you might ask, or simply can’t afford to travel to see someone? Isn’t Google a good option then?
Still no. Google’s job is to sell you advertising. That’s what its business model is. Information is only a secondary concern for Google. There are innumerable resources created by real doctors and health professionals and not “crowdsourced” from what other people are asking.
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Google’s example is that “a person dealing with arthritis might want to know how others with this condition exercise.” That seems like stating the obvious, but – having had many people in my family who suffer from arthritis – I know there are great online resources that are not crowd-sourced but created by professionals.
Google says people can “quickly uncover real insights from people who also have the condition, with links to click out and learn more.” Again, that’s what Google always does but this is not about giving people links to “learn more.” This is the latest iteration of Google’s catchall strategy. If it displays enough information on the search page – usually culled from Wikipedia or news websites – it can hold onto your eyeballs for longer.
AI Overviews is another ploy to make itself more relevant and central in this increasingly fast AI environment where Google’s primary cash cow – its Search business – is under serious threat. Google earned $350 billion in revenue in 2024. It’s more worried about its own health than ours.
The good news, for now, is that “What People Suggest” is only available on mobile devices in the US.
