RFK Jr. says AI can give patients better medical second opinions

Oct 1, 2026
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said AI can provide patients with a better informed second opinion than any physician in the country.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said AI can provide patients with a better informed second opinion than any physician in the country, according to Becker's Hospital Review. He made the remarks at the MAHA Summit in Washington alongside Vice President JD Vance.

Kennedy said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently told him that physicians would be committing malpractice if they diagnosed a patient or prescribed treatment without first consulting AI. The account came from Kennedy.

Kennedy also said patients could use AI to challenge guidance from public officials and medical experts. He cited advice about masks, social distancing and vaccines as examples that AI might dispute.

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