At the industry-backed MAHA Summit on September 29, 2026, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed artificial intelligence is 'better informed' than any U.S. doctor and can free patients from 'medical tyranny.' Kennedy also outlined plans to aggregate federal health data for AI analysis. The comments, delivered at an event sponsored by tech firms like OpenAI and Anthropic, drew sharp criticism from medical groups like the American Medical Association and sparked a backlash from grassroots supporters who accused the movement of selling out to corporate interests.
RFK Jr. on AI's role in healthcare
- ▪At the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Summit on September 29, 2026, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated that artificial intelligence can offer patients a second opinion that is much better informed than any doctor in the country.
- ▪Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated at the MAHA Summit on September 29, 2026, that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told him it would be malpractice for a doctor to make a diagnosis or prescription without checking artificial intelligence.
- ▪During a fireside chat with Vice President JD Vance at the MAHA Summit on September 29, 2026, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated that artificial intelligence has the capacity to free Americans from medical tyranny.
RFK Jr.'s plans for federal health data
- ▪Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated on September 28, 2026, that the Trump administration is tracking exposures, interventions, and claims data in Medicaid, and plans to make federal health data research-ready for external researchers.
- ▪At a MAHA event on September 28, 2026, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. outlined a vision to connect and share U.S. medical and lifestyle data with the government and independent researchers to be analyzed by artificial intelligence.
Medical pushback on AI in healthcare
- ▪The American Medical Association issued a statement asserting that artificial intelligence cannot replace physician judgment and that patients deserve care decisions guided by a physician who understands their individual needs.
- ▪Florida physician Dr. Jeffrey Dach criticized Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s remarks on September 30, 2026, stating that artificial intelligence is programmed to rehash the current narrative pushed by captured government agencies and mass media.
Controversy over MAHA Summit corporate sponsorship
- ▪Conservative podcaster Alex Clark and Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed criticized the heavy involvement of corporate sponsors like Walmart and health insurance companies at the MAHA Summit.
- ▪The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Summit, held on September 29, 2026, was sponsored in part by artificial intelligence companies OpenAI and Anthropic, alongside other corporate entities including Walmart and Grail.
- ▪MAHA activist Dr. Robert Malone criticized the MAHA Summit's corporate sponsorship on social media, calling the event a grift and stating that the movement was supposed to expose the revolving door between money and government.
- ▪The MAHA Summit on September 29, 2026, featured nine publicly traded companies, including insurance giants, pharmaceutical companies, and wellness brands, with some companies reportedly offered access to government officials for a fee.
Debatable claims
- ▪The MAHA movement compromises its mission by partnering with corporate sponsors
- ▪The federal government should aggregate public health data for external AI research
- ▪Doctors commit malpractice if they diagnose patients without consulting artificial intelligence
- ▪Artificial intelligence is an effective tool to counter the authority of public health experts
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