Google quietly shutters health search experiment as YouTube gets surprising new AI tools

Google has retired its "What People Suggest" health search feature and announced new AI health tools for YouTube. The changes were confirmed during Google's 2026 Check Up event on health technology. A company spokesperson described the removal as part of a broader simplification of search results.

Key details on Google's removal of "What People Suggest"

"What People Suggest" surfaced AI-organized health perspectives drawn from online discussions directly in search results. It appeared on mobile devices in the United States after launching at Google's previous Check Up health event, and was removed following a trial period.

• A Google spokesperson told The Guardian that the removal is part of a "broader simplification" of the search results page.
• The spokesperson said the decision was not related to the feature's quality or safety.
• Karen DeSalvo, then Google's chief health officer, presented "What People Suggest" at launch and highlighted demand for peer health experiences.
• DeSalvo retired in August and was succeeded by Dr. Michael Howell, who led this year's Check Up announcements.
• At the 2026 Check Up, Google outlined new AI features across YouTube, Fitbit, and clinician training initiatives.
• YouTube health-related videos have generated more than one trillion views globally, according to Google.
• An AI-powered "Ask" button will appear on eligible health videos, allowing viewers to query information covered in the content.
• Google is also testing AI features that organize peer-reviewed scientific information and present complex topics in more accessible formats.

Background on health AI features and search

The removal of "What People Suggest" comes as Google continues to expand and refine AI Overviews for health-related queries. Search Engine Journal reported that Google extended AI Overviews to thousands more health topics, citing Ahrefs data on medical queries. A separate SE Ranking study of German health queries found that YouTube was the most cited domain in health AI Overviews.

In January, The Guardian published an investigation into Google's AI Overviews for health-related questions. Health experts quoted in the article described some responses as misleading or incomplete. Afterward, Google removed AI Overviews for some health searches, including liver function test queries, according to Search Engine Journal.

Google reports that health-related YouTube videos now exceed one trillion views globally. The company is introducing the AI-powered "Ask" button on eligible health videos to support interactive question answering.

Separately, Google.org is committing 10 million dollars to AI-related clinician education programs with two initial partner organizations: the Council of Medical Specialty Societies and the American Academy of Nursing. In a related blog post, Dr. Michael Howell positions these efforts as part of a broader push to connect people and professionals with reliable health information.

Source citations

This summary uses official Google materials and reporting from The Guardian, Search Engine Journal, Ahrefs, and SE Ranking. In this section, only primary corporate materials are linked directly.

• Google Check Up 2026 health AI updates - official blog post detailing "Ask" on YouTube, scientific information features, and clinician education funding.