Google—Guardian investigation found Google AI Overviews displayed dangerous health misinformation including life-threatening cancer advice
A Guardian investigation found Google's AI Overviews feature provided false and misleading health information. Google advised pancreatic cancer patients to avoid high-fat foods - the exact opposite of correct guidance that could jeopardize tolerance of chemotherapy or surgery. Additional errors included incorrect liver blood test ranges and wrong cancer screening information. Health charities Pancreatic Cancer UK, British Liver Trust, Mind, and Eve Appeal raised alarms. Google subsequently removed AI Overviews for some medical queries but only partially addressed the issue.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Safety | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Consumer Protection | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.322 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.57)× agency (negligent ×0.5)
Evidence (1 signal)
Guardian investigation found Google AI Overviews gave dangerous health advice including wrong cancer guidance
The Guardian tested Google's AI Overviews and found multiple instances of dangerous health misinformation. AI Overviews advised pancreatic cancer patients to avoid high-fat foods — the opposite of correct guidance — potentially jeopardizing chemotherapy tolerance. Other errors included incorrect liver blood test ranges and wrong cancer screening information. Pancreatic Cancer UK called it 'really dangerous.' Google later removed some AI Overviews for medical queries.