Google's AI Overviews present AI-generated medical advice at the top of search results as plain, authoritative facts — with no warning that the information may be wrong. Google has claimed that "AI Overviews will inform people when it's important to seek out expert advice or to verify the information presented." But when I searched health queries, a disclaimer only appeared after I clicked 'Show more' and scrolled to the very end of the expanded AI content, in small, light-grey text: "This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or a diagnosis, consult a professional. AI responses may include mistakes." If the warning is buried behind an extra click, can Google really say it is informing users that AI medical answers may be wrong?
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Expert: Gina Neff, Professor of Responsible AI, Queen Mary University of London Google's claim that its AI Overviews warn users when medical information may be wrong does not match what users actually see. An exclusive Guardian investigation (16 February 2026, by health editor Andrew Gregory) found that Google does not show any disclaimer when users are first presented with AI-generated medical advice. The safety label only appears after clicking 'Show more' and navigating to the very end of the extra AI-assembled content — in a smaller, lighter font. The buried text reads: "This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or a diagnosis, consult a professional. AI responses may include mistakes." AI experts and patient advocates said the missing disclaimer is dangerous. "The absence of disclaimers when users are initially served medical information creates several critical dangers," said Pat Pataranutaporn, assistant professor and AI researcher at MIT. "Even the most advanced AI models today still hallucinate misinformation or exhibit sycophantic behaviour... Disclaimers serve as a crucial intervention point." Gina Neff, professor of responsible AI at Queen Mary University of London, said the "problem with bad AI Overviews is by design": "AI Overviews are designed for speed, not accuracy, and that leads to mistakes in health information, which can be dangerous." Sonali Sharma of Stanford's centre for AI in medicine and imaging warned the summaries can create "a sense of reassurance that discourages further searching" and often contain "partially correct and partially incorrect information", making it hard to tell what is accurate. Tom Bishop of the blood-cancer charity Anthony Nolan called for the disclaimer to be "right at the top" and the same size as other text — not "small and easy to miss". Google told the Guardian that "AI Overviews frequently mention seeking medical attention directly within the overview itself, when appropriate", and following the reporting it removed AI Overviews for some, but not all, medical searches. **Bottom line:** Google's blanket claim that it informs users when AI medical advice may be wrong is misleading — the warning is hidden behind an extra click, in small text at the very end of the summary. Treat AI-generated medical answers as unverified: check a qualified professional or an official medical source before acting. Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/16/google-puts-users-at-risk-downplaying-disclaimers-ai-overviews
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