"Google disabled specific queries, such as "what is the normal range for liver blood tests," after experts contacted by The Guardian flagged the results as dangerous. The report also highlighted a critical error regarding pancreatic cancer: The AI suggested patients avoid high-fat foods, a recommendation that contradicts standard medical guidance to maintain weight and could jeopardize patient health. Despite these findings, Google only deactivated the summaries for the liver test queries, leaving other potentially harmful answers accessible."
"The investigation revealed that searching for liver test norms generated raw data tables (listing specific enzymes like ALT, AST, and alkaline phosphatase) that lacked essential context. The AI feature also failed to adjust these figures for patient demographics such as age, sex, and ethnicity. Experts warned that because the AI model's definition of "normal" often differed from actual medical standards, patients with serious liver conditions might mistakenly believe they are healthy and skip necessary follow-up care."
Google removed some AI health summaries after they produced false and misleading medical information that could endanger patients. Specific queries about liver blood test normal ranges were disabled, while other problematic summaries remained live. The AI recommended avoiding high-fat foods for pancreatic cancer, contradicting guidance to maintain weight. Liver test outputs often appeared as raw data tables listing enzymes like ALT, AST, and alkaline phosphatase without context or adjustment for age, sex, and ethnicity. The model's definition of "normal" frequently diverged from medical standards, risking false reassurance and missed follow-up for serious liver conditions. Understanding liver function tests requires more than comparing numbers.
Read at Ars Technica
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