RFK Jr. claims AI supports his anti-vaccine views, media fact-checks find no proof
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On October 1, 2026, Ars Technica reported that US Health Secretary RFK Jr. said at a MAHA event that AI knows more than any doctor and will help Americans break free from medical experts' "medical authoritarianism," and will validate his views on masks, social distancing, and vaccines. Ars Technica subsequently tested Gemini and ChatGPT, finding that both gave answers on the effectiveness of masks and social distancing consistent with mainstream medical consensus, and did not support RFK Jr.'s claims. So far the event is only a single media test report, with no other official responses or follow-up developments reported.
AI overview of reporting · Updated 17 days ago
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- Ars Technica · AIRFK Jr. thinks AI will free us from the "tyranny" of medical facts, expertise
US Health Secretary RFK Jr. said at a MAHA event that AI understands things better than any doctor and will help free Americans from medical experts' "medical tyranny," validating his views on masks, social distancing and vaccines. Ars Technica tested this and found that Gemini and ChatGPT's answers on the effectiveness of masks and social distancing aligned with mainstream medical consensus, not his claims.