RFK Jr. said Sam Altman told him that AI has advanced to the point that diagnosing or prescribing without AI checking would be malpractice.
US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said AI could become an essential part of medical decision-making. According to a report from the New York Times, he claimed that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told him that it “would be malpractice for a doctor to make a diagnosis or to make a prescription without at least checking AI.”
He said that while Altman explained that he would not recommend asking AI for medical advice two years ago, the technology had advanced to the point that it can aid doctors and patients in analyzing medical records.
Kennedy made the remarks Tuesday, September 29, 2026, during a fireside chat with Vice President JD Vance at the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Summit in Washington, DC. The event included a dedicated panel on AI and health care and was attended by several administration officials.
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AI Could Become Another Layer of Medical Review, According to RFK Jr.
Kennedy presented the idea as a way for both doctors and patients to analyze large amounts of medical information. He said a patient’s medical record could contain thousands of pages, while doctors may have only a few minutes to review it during an appointment.
According to Kennedy, AI could process those records and provide patients with an additional medical opinion.
“It can give you a second opinion that is much better informed than any doctor in the country,” RFK Jr. said during the event.
AI tools can analyze medical information and generate recommendations. However, determining who would be legally responsible for an incorrect recommendation remains an unresolved issue in many health care systems. Questions can involve the physician, health care provider, hospital, and developer of an AI system.
The secretary also said the federal government is working toward giving Americans easier access to their medical records through AI-enabled tools. He argued that patients could use the technology to independently examine medical information and compare it with advice from health professionals and public officials.
Kennedy further argued that AI could challenge established medical guidance, citing masks, social distancing, and vaccines as examples.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
