Kennedy’s AI push draws criticism from experts and MAHA allies

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promoted artificial intelligence as a way for Americans to scrutinize medical advice at a Make America Healthy Again summit last week, prompting criticism from medical experts and some allies in the movement he leads. Kennedy told the invite-only gathering that AI could help people fact-check their own medical advice and free them from what he called “medical tyranny.” He also argued that the technology could help patients understand their health data and make better decisions with doctors, according to Health and Human Services spokesperson Emily Hilliard. Dr. Zeke Emanuel, a cancer specialist and bioethicist at the University of Pennsylvania, said Kennedy misunderstood how medical AI works. The systems draw on medical literature and case studies, Emanuel said, meaning they can deliver established medical expertise rather than simply echoing a user’s preferences. Hilliard said Emanuel was describing a narrow use and that AI could help doctors work faster and spend more time caring for patients. The summit’s corporate sponsorship drew separate criticism.