
When people turn to Google with health concerns, many now encounter an artificial intelligence summary at the top of their results. New research indicates these automated answers frequently draw information from an unexpected primary source: YouTube, rather than established medical institutions.
The investigation, carried out by search analytics firm SE Ranking, scrutinized more than 50,000 health-related queries performed on Google in Berlin during December 2025. It discovered that the company’s AI Overviews tool referenced YouTube clips more often than any hospital, government health agency, or accredited medical portal. Specifically, YouTube was cited in 4.43% of all source attributions, securing its position as the most-used reference.
This reliance on the popular video platform is notable because Google states its AI is engineered to highlight trustworthy information from authoritative outlets. YouTube, where content creators range from certified doctors to unqualified influencers, does not traditionally qualify as a peer-reviewed medical publisher. The platform’s dominance in these summaries suggests digital popularity may be influencing health information.

Other sources were cited far less frequently. Following YouTube, Germany’s public broadcaster NDR.de appeared in just over 3% of citations. Medical reference site Msdmanuals.com, health information portal Netdoktor.de, and a German career site for physicians rounded out the top five, each appearing in less than 2.5% of instances.
AI Overviews appeared in response to over 82% of the health searches included in the study. Researchers used German-language prompts to reflect a regulated information environment governed by both national and European Union standards. They noted that if AI systems show a bias toward non-medical sources even under these conditions, comparable trends are likely in other regions.

Google responded to the findings by stating that its AI pulls from credible material “regardless of format,” adding that many legitimate healthcare providers operate channels on YouTube. The company contended that a study focused solely on German searches cannot be applied to its global performance. It also highlighted that among a small subset of the most-referenced YouTube videos, 96% originated from verified medical accounts; however, researchers pointed out this group represented a tiny fraction of the total YouTube citations analyzed.
The research adds to existing worries about the accuracy of AI-generated health guidance. Separate reports have documented instances where the tool produced incorrect or potentially harmful summaries, prompting Google to limit AI Overviews for some medical inquiries earlier this month.
This article, Google’s AI health answers favor YouTube videos over medical websites — report, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
Comments
Post a Comment