Google’s AI Overview is not generating summaries for queries about whether President Donald Trump exhibits signs of dementia, while it provides detailed responses for similar questions about his predecessors, according to a report by The Verge.
This discrepancy occurs amid heightened scrutiny of the president’s health. At 79, Trump is the oldest person to be inaugurated. During the 2024 presidential campaign, the health and mental acuity of the candidates were central issues. Trump frequently questioned the fitness of his predecessor, Joe Biden, who withdrew from the race in July 2024 after a debate performance that raised public concern. Trump also made several gaffes on the campaign trail, such as praising the fictional character Hannibal Lecter and appearing to confuse Beijing with Taiwan.
Recently, the White House has faced calls for greater transparency regarding the president’s condition. In July, it announced Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, which his physician described as “benign and common” in individuals over 70. Responding to public speculation in September, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE.”
When tested on October 2, the search “does Trump show signs of dementia” failed to produce an AI-generated summary, instead defaulting to a standard list of links. In contrast, the same query about former President Biden prompted the AI Overview to state, “there has been ongoing speculation and public concern regarding former President Joe Biden’s cognitive abilities.” The feature also provided answers for former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, noting in Obama’s case that there was “no credible public evidence or reporting” to suggest cognitive decline.
In a statement to The Verge, Google spokesperson Davis Thompson said, “As we’ve said, AI Overviews and AI Mode won’t show a response to every query.”
This development comes shortly after a court filing on Monday revealed that Google’s parent company, Alphabet, agreed to a $24.5 million settlement with Trump. The agreement is related to the suspension of his account from the Google-owned platform YouTube following the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
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