Recently, Google announced the discontinuation of its “What People Suggest” feature, which utilized AI to curate health insights from online discussions. This decision was made public during Google’s annual Check Up event, where the company introduced new AI initiatives for YouTube focused on health topics.
A spokesperson from Google confirmed the feature’s removal to The Guardian, describing it as part of a “broader simplification” of the search results interface. The spokesperson emphasized that this decision was not related to the feature’s quality or safety. Reports from The Guardian, citing three insiders, indicated that the feature was discontinued following a trial phase.
The “What People Suggest” feature debuted on mobile devices in the U.S. last year during the Check Up event. At its launch, Karen DeSalvo, who was then Google’s chief health officer, highlighted the importance of learning from others with similar health experiences. DeSalvo retired in August, and Dr. Michael Howell succeeded her, overseeing this year’s Check Up announcements.
What Google Announced At The Check Up
During the 2026 Check Up event, Google revealed new AI health features spanning YouTube, Fitbit, and clinician education.
According to Google, health-related videos on YouTube have amassed more than 1 trillion views globally. The company is incorporating an AI-powered “Ask” button for eligible health videos, allowing viewers to engage with the content more interactively.
Furthermore, Google is exploring AI to systematically organize peer-reviewed scientific information, making complex topics more accessible to a wider audience.
In the blog post, Howell acknowledged that a key challenge has been connecting individuals with the right health information at the right moment.
Additionally, Google.org is investing $10 million to support organizations reinventing clinician education in the context of AI. The Council of Medical Specialty Societies and the American Academy of Nursing are among the initial partners in this initiative.
Why This Matters
The landscape of AI features related to health topics continues to evolve. Google has withdrawn one feature that showcased forum-style insights while redirecting investment towards medical education and structured video content.
YouTube’s expanding role in health-related AI Overviews has been documented. A study by SE Ranking on German health queries found that YouTube was the most-cited platform in health AI Overviews, surpassing both medical and government sites. The introduction of interactive AI features could further entrench this trend.
How We Got Here
Over the past year, Google’s AI features for health queries have faced various challenges.
In January, The Guardian published an investigation revealing that some experts believed certain AI Overview answers were misleading regarding medical queries. Although Google contested aspects of the investigation, it eventually removed AI Overviews for specific health-related searches, such as liver function tests.
The “What People Suggest” feature launched while Google was also broadening AI Overviews to numerous additional health topics. Data from Ahrefs in November indicated that medical YMYL queries triggered AI Overviews 44.1% of the time, marking the highest occurrence among YMYL categories.
Looking Ahead
The trends observed over the past year suggest stricter regulations around certain health AI applications. However, the future direction remains uncertain.
The removal of “What People Suggest,” alongside YouTube’s increasing visibility in AI Overviews, could indicate this pathway. Nevertheless, Google’s history with health-related AI features demonstrates that such decisions may change rapidly.
Featured Image: Mamun_Sheikh/Shutterstock
