On Tuesday, Google announced significant updates to its health-care-related search tools, aiming to empower users to better manage their health conditions by tapping into shared experiences. One of the standout features unveiled is “What People Suggest,” which utilizes AI to aggregate online commentary from individuals with similar health conditions. For instance, a person with arthritis can easily find out how others with the same diagnosis approach exercise. This feature, aimed at fostering community insights, is currently available on mobile devices in the U.S.
Google also revealed that it has expanded its knowledge panels, the information boxes that appear alongside search results, to encompass “thousands” more health-related topics. This expansion will roll out in new countries and languages such as Spanish, Japanese, and Portuguese, starting on mobile devices.
Although Google has launched various health-care initiatives over the years, it has faced challenges in establishing a consistent business strategy in the sector. The company created a dedicated Google Health unit around 2018, which rapidly grew to employ over 500 people, but this unit was dissolved in 2021. Nevertheless, Dr. Karen DeSalvo, Google’s chief health officer, expressed a firm commitment to health care, stating that the company was “still all-in on health.”
In recent times, much of Google’s health-care focus has centered around artificial intelligence. “With extraordinary advances in AI, we have an opportunity to reimagine the entire health experience,” DeSalvo commented during an event in New York City on Tuesday.
Last year, Google introduced AI Overviews—brief AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of search results for certain health-related queries. However, the rollout faced challenges as users highlighted instances where the AI provided inaccurate or controversial information, such as suggesting users add glue to their pizza. Notably, health experts have advised caution regarding these summaries, indicating that around 70% of the AI Overviews for health searches were deemed risky by a panel of medical professionals.
In response to these concerns, Google announced that its recent advancements in health-focused AI, particularly through its Gemini models, have allowed for enhancements in the quality of AI Overviews related to health topics.
Late in 2023, Google introduced MedLM, a suite of AI models specifically tailored for health care, aimed at assisting clinicians and researchers with complex studies, summarizing doctor-patient interactions, and more. Furthermore, the company unveiled Vertex AI Search for Healthcare, a tool designed to help organizations build applications that quickly provide clinicians and patients with relevant information from various data sources.
As Google continues to innovate in the health-care domain, its latest features aim to enrich the user experience, helping individuals navigate their health journeys with greater confidence and awareness.
