The AI pivot
At a "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) event in DC this Tuesday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy had a major plot twist for his audience. While Vice President JD Vance arrived expecting to talk about weight loss and health trends, Kennedy spent his time hyping up artificial intelligence. Kennedy argued that the current administration is making AI accessible so that everyday Americans can finally escape the "medical tyranny" of doctors and public health experts. He basically suggested that instead of trusting your MD, you should turn to a chatbot for a second opinion.
The reality check
Kennedy claimed that AI would act as a check-and-balance system, specifically predicting that these models would debunk public health guidance on masks, social distancing, and vaccine efficacy. Real talk: the actual AI models don't back him up on this. When asked if masks or social distancing work, tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini both gave clear "yes" answers, citing established scientific consensus. They also confirmed that vaccines do, in fact, help prevent transmission. It’s giving… a major L for his theory, honestly.
Follow the money
There’s some serious irony here. MAHA built its entire brand on fighting corporate capture and distrusting "big industry," yet the event was sponsored by heavy hitters like Walmart, OpenAI, Anthropic, and UnitedHealth. With sponsorship packages hitting $300,000—which included private dinners with Kennedy and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services head Mehmet Oz—some of his own former allies, like Robert Malone, are calling out the hypocrisy. It seems the "anti-establishment" movement just hit its own revolving door moment.
Why it matters
Experts have been sounding the alarm that relying on AI over real medical professionals is not just misguided, it’s lowkey dangerous. Kennedy’s push to position AI as an anti-expert oracle could lead people to ignore life-saving medical advice based on hallucinations or misunderstood data from chatbots.
