Google turns off medical AI. No more advice from online forums

Many people look for information about their ailments on the Internet. Google created the function with them in mind What People Suggestto make this process easier. Artificial intelligence analyzed entries from social networking sites and internet forums, and the website was among the main data sources Reddit.

The system created ready-made lists based on user opinions. A person looking for information about arthritis received abbreviation of other people’s methods of treatment. The problem was the way this data was presented. Algorithms placed amateur entries at the very top of search results. It made it so loose advice looked like official medical advice.

Doctors quickly noticed the disadvantages of this solution. They pointed out that artificial intelligence does not analyze the context of the patient’s situation. The tool ignored age, medical history and exact symptoms. A treatment that works for one person may not work for another. Previous tests have repeatedly shown that Google’s AI can give wrong health advice.

Google issued an announcement regarding the disappearance of the feature. A company spokesman stated that this is part of a broader simplification of the results page. The Mountain View giant denies that the decision was related to the safety or quality of the tool. The operation is shown as routine updating of the search engine interface.

However, market observers pay attention to the time when the service will be turned off. Google is currently facing growing criticism of its algorithms. Just a few months ago, the company had to limit AI operation for some health queries. The changes were introduced after detecting incorrect interpretations of patients’ liver test results.

Search users can still find forum posts. The main change is no automatic summaries. Internet users now have to click on links on their own and evaluate the usefulness of the sources they read. However, the American giant is not abandoning the medical sector. The company is promoting new research and partnerships during the ongoing The Check Up conference.