Dangerous and alarming': Google removes some of its AI summaries after users' health put at risk

"Google has removed some of its artificial intelligence health summaries after a Guardian investigation found people were being put at risk of harm by false and misleading information. The company has said its AI Overviews, which use generative AI to provide snapshots of essential information about a topic or question, are helpful and reliable. But some of the summaries, which appear at the top of search results, served up inaccurate health information, putting users at risk of harm."

"In one case that experts described as dangerous and alarming, Google provided bogus information about crucial liver function tests that could leave people with serious liver disease wrongly thinking they were healthy. Typing what is the normal range for liver blood tests served up masses of numbers, little context and no accounting for nationality, sex, ethnicity or age of patients, the Guardian found. What Google's AI Overviews said was normal may vary drastically from what was actually considered normal, experts said."

"After the investigation, the company has removed AI Overviews for the search terms what is the normal range for liver blood tests and what is the normal range for liver function tests. A Google spokesperson said: We do not comment on individual removals within Search. In cases where AI Overviews miss some context, we work to make broad improvements, and we also take action under our policies where appropriate."

Google removed some AI-generated health summaries after an investigation found false and misleading information that could harm users. AI Overviews use generative AI to provide snapshots of essential information at the top of search results. Several summaries served inaccurate health data, notably on liver function tests, offering masses of numbers with little context and no adjustments for nationality, sex, ethnicity, or age. Experts warned the presented "normal" ranges could differ drastically from clinically appropriate values and might cause seriously ill patients to assume normal results and skip follow-up care. Google removed specific AI Overviews for liver test queries and stated it will make broad improvements.

Read at www.theguardian.com