US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr outlined a vision to collect, share and analyse Americans' medical and lifestyle data using AI at a Maha event, according to the Guardian.
Key facts
- RFK Jr laid out the vision at a Maha event hosted by a close ally and anti-vaccine activist, according to the Guardian.
- He called for medical and lifestyle data, from doctor's visits to exercise, to be connected and shared.
- Data would be shared with the government and independent researchers and searchable by AI.
- Kennedy suggested AI could examine potential links between vaccines and outcomes including autism and mortality.
- Kennedy is HHS secretary and a longtime vaccine sceptic.
Robert F Kennedy Jr laid out an expansive vision for collecting, sharing and analysing US health information during a Maha event, according to the Guardian. The event was hosted by a close ally of Kennedy’s who is described as an outspoken anti-vaccine activist.
Kennedy, the secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), said medical and lifestyle data — ranging from doctor’s visits to exercise — should be connected and shared with the government and independent researchers. He framed the effort as a way to address what he called a ‘chronic disease epidemic.’
Under the vision Kennedy described, that pooled information could be searched by artificial intelligence. He suggested AI could be used to examine potential links between vaccines and health outcomes, including autism and mortality, according to the Guardian.
Kennedy is a longtime vaccine sceptic. The Guardian’s report focused on his remarks at the event and the scope of the data-sharing plan he outlined.
Why it matters
A federal effort to connect and analyse Americans' medical and lifestyle data raises significant questions about privacy, consent and how health information is used. The proposal also comes from the nation's top health official, who has questioned vaccine safety despite scientific consensus finding no link between vaccines and autism.
Frequently asked questions
What did RFK Jr propose about health data?
According to the Guardian, Kennedy proposed that medical and lifestyle data, from doctor's visits to exercise, be connected and shared with the government and independent researchers, where it could be searched by AI.
What role would AI play in the plan?
Kennedy suggested AI could search the shared data, including examining potential links between vaccines and health outcomes such as autism and mortality, the Guardian reported.
Where did Kennedy make these remarks?
He made the remarks at a Maha event hosted by a close ally who is an outspoken anti-vaccine activist, according to the Guardian.