Latest news with #Keyes
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
White House blames 'formatting' for errors in RFK Jr.'s MAHA report. Authors push back.
Citation errors and phantom research used as scientific evidence to bolster Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s landmark 'Make America Healthy Again' commission report were apparently due to 'formatting issues,' according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish a commission that was tasked with investigating chronic illnesses and childhood diseases, which culminated in the 'Make Our Children Healthy Again' assessment that was published May 22. However, researchers listed in the report have since come forward saying the articles cited don't exist or were used to support facts that were inconsistent with their research. The errors were first reported by NOTUS. 'I understand there were some formatting issues with the MAHA report that are being addressed and the report will be updated,' Leavitt told reporters May 29. 'But it does not negate the substance of the report.' She also didn't say whether the report was generated by artificial intelligence, or AI, as some have questioned. Although it's difficult to determine whether scientific articles are generated or 'touched up' by AI, there are telling signs, said Yuan Luo, professor and chief AI officer at Northwestern University's clinical and translational sciences institute. Some of those signs may include citation gaps, factual inconsistencies and irrelevant conclusions derived from random research. MAHA report: RFK slams processed foods, pesticides, vaccines as harmful to kids The MAHA report erroneously said an article on the impact of light from computer monitors was published in the journal Pediatrics when it wasn't, according to the study's author Mariana Figueiro, a professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The report also cited Figueiro's research as evidence that electronic devices in children's bedrooms disrupted sleep onset. However, she said the study was on college students and researchers measured melatonin suppression, not sleep. 'The study is ours, but unfortunately, the conclusions in the report are not accurate and the journal reference is incorrect,' Figueiro told USA TODAY via email. 'We have other papers on the topic… but again, none of them were performed with children.' The MAHA report also cited Columbia University epidemiologist Katherine Keyes as first author of a study on anxiety in adolescents. As first reported by NOTUS and confirmed by USA TODAY, Keyes said she did not write the paper cited by the MAHA report. 'I was surprised to see what seems to be an error in the citation of my work in the report, and it does make me concerned given that citation practices are an important part of conducting and reporting rigorous science,' Keyes told USA TODAY via email. Keyes has studied the topic and published a recent study in JAMA Network Open that adolescent girls had higher levels of depressive symptoms than boys, but her study's figures did not match what the MAHA report cited. She said her earlier research on depression and anxiety symptoms yielded results 'that are generally in the ballpark of the MAHA report, although I'm not sure where their exact ranges are drawn from.' Keyes said she would be happy to send information to the MAHA committee to correct the report, but she doesn't know where to reach the report's authors. Ivan Oransky, co-founder of Retraction Watch, a site that tracks retractions in scientific journals and research, said the MAHA report seemed to share characteristics similar to other AI-generated work. AI papers 'tend to hallucinate references,' he said. 'They come up with references that share a lot of words and authors and even journals, journal names, but they're not real." HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said the report has been updated to correct "minor citation and formatting errors." "But the substance of the MAHA report remains the same - a historic and transformative assessment by the federal government to understand the chronic disease epidemic afflicting our nation's children," he said. "Under President Trump and Secretary Kennedy, our federal government is no longer ignoring this crisis, and it's time for the media to also focus on what matters." Oransky noted the MAHA report comes as Kennedy said he may prohibit government scientists from publishing research in major peer-reviewed medical journals such as JAMA, Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine 'because they're all corrupt.' Kennedy proposed an HHS publication where government scientists could publish research findings. "When scientific reform is weaponized to only denigrate science and scientists whose studies contradict your beliefs or your wishes, we get to a very dark place,' Oransky said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: RFK Jr.'s MAHA report errors: Was it AI or 'formatting issues?'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr.'s error-filled MAHA report sparks speculation it was written by AI
Last week, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. proudly boasted about the findings of a 73-page report from the Presidential Commission to Make America Healthy Again that took what was supposed to be an unvarnished look at the health of the nation's children. 'We will end the childhood chronic disease crisis by attacking its root causes head-on—not just managing its symptoms,' Kennedy said in a statement. 'We will follow the truth wherever it leads, uphold rigorous science, and drive bold policies that put the health, development, and future of every child first,' he continued. 'I'm grateful to President [Donald] Trump for his leadership—and for trusting me to lead this fight to root out corruption, restore scientific integrity, and reclaim the health of our children.' But new reporting suggests that the document misinterprets some of the studies that underpin it, and cites others that don't even exist, the authors told NOTUS, a nonprofit news website that covers national politics and government. For instance, epidemiologist Katherien Keyes is listed in the report as the first author of a study on how anxiety affects adolescents. When NOTUS contacted her for comment, she was 'surprised' to hear about the citation, the website reported. Whiley Keyes does study mental health and substance use, she didn't write the paper, according to NOTUS. 'The paper cited is not a real paper that I or my colleagues were involved with,' Keyes told NOTUS via email. 'We've certainly done research on this topic, but did not publish a paper in JAMA Pediatrics on this topic with that co-author group, or with that title.' Separate reporting by USA TODAY found that the report had misinterpreted a cited article written by Mariana Figueiro, a professor at Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine. The government's report had cited Figuerio's study as evidence of the harmful effects that electronic devices can have on children's sleep, NYMag's Intelligencer reported. But according to Figueiro herself, the study had focused on college students. And it measured 'melatonin suppression,' according to USA TODAY. 'The study is ours, but unfortunately, the conclusions in the report are not accurate and the journal reference is incorrect,' Figueiro told USA TODAY in an email. 'We have other papers on the topic… but again, none of them were performed with children.' During a Thursday news conference, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reportedly downplayed NOTUS's findings on the MAHA report and stood behind it. Still, The New York Times reported that the original version of the report had been taken down and replaced with an updated one, according to NYMag's Intelligencer. The pratfalls, in turn, sparked speculation that RFK Jr.'s team at HHS had used AI to compile the document. New York University expert Ivan Oransky told the Times that he couldn't say for sure that AI had been used for the report, but it did remind him of instances where it had been employed elsewhere. 'We've seen this particular movie before, and it's unfortunately much more common in scientific literature than people would like or than really it should be,' he told the newspaper. Leavitt punted to RFK Jr. when she was asked whether AI had been used to compile the report. 'I can't speak to that,' she said, according to NYMag. Supreme Court lets Trump admin. strip protections for people from 4 countries Tainted by state's drug lab scandal, seized property hangs in balance as US high court weighs taking up case Why the fight over foreign students at Harvard has some US students leaving, too The piece of the Mass. budget that passes all understanding | John L. Micek Quincy residents sue mayor over controversial statues for new public safety building Read the original article on MassLive.
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
RFK Jr.'s MAHA report errors: Was it AI or 'formatting issues?'
However, researchers listed in the report have since come forward saying the articles cited don't exist or were used to support facts that were inconsistent with their research. The errors were first reported by NOTUS. "I understand there were some formatting issues with the MAHA report that are being addressed and the report will be updated," Leavitt told reporters May 29. "But it does negate the substance of the report." She also didn't say whether the report was generated by artificial intelligence, or AI, as some have questioned. Although it's difficult to determine whether scientific articles are generated or "touched up" by AI, there are telling signs, said Yuan Luo, professor and chief AI officer at Northwestern University's clinical and translational sciences institute. Some of those signs may include citation gaps, factual inconsistencies and irrelevant conclusions derived from random research. MAHA report: RFK slams processed foods, pesticides, vaccines as harmful to kids The MAHA report erroneously said an article on the impact of light from computer monitors was published in the journal Pediatrics when it wasn't, according to the study's author Mariana Figueiro, a professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The report also cited Figueiro's research as evidence that electronic devices in children's bedrooms disrupted sleep onset. However, she said the study was on college students and researchers measured melatonin suppression, not sleep. "The study is ours, but unfortunately, the conclusions in the report are not accurate and the journal reference is incorrect," Figueiro told USA TODAY via email. "We have other papers on the topic... but again, none of them were performed with children." The MAHA report also cited Columbia University epidemiologist Katherine Keyes as first author of a study on anxiety in adolescents. As first reported by NOTUS and confirmed by USA TODAY, Keyes said she did not write the paper cited by the MAHA report. "I was surprised to see what seems to be an error in the citation of my work in the report, and it does make me concerned given that citation practices are an important part of conducting and reporting rigorous science," Keyes told USA TODAY via email. Keyes has studied the topic and published a recent study in JAMA Network Open that adolescent girls had higher levels of depressive symptoms than boys, but her study's figures did not match what the MAHA report cited. She said her earlier research on depression and anxiety symptoms yielded results "that are generally in the ballpark of the MAHA report, although I'm not sure where their exact ranges are drawn from." Keyes said she would be happy to send information to the MAHA committee to correct the report, but she doesn't know where to reach the report's authors. Ivan Oransky, co-founder of Retraction Watch, a site that tracks retractions in scientific journals and research, said the MAHA report seemed to share characteristics similar to other AI-generated work. AI papers "tend to hallucinate references," he said. "They come up with references that share a lot of words and authors and even journals, journal names, but they're not real." HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said the report has been updated to correct "minor citation and formatting errors." "But the substance of the MAHA report remains the same - a historic and transformative assessment by the federal government to understand the chronic disease epidemic afflicting our nation's children," he said. "Under President Trump and Secretary Kennedy, our federal government is no longer ignoring this crisis, and it's time for the media to also focus on what matters." Oransky noted the MAHA report comes as Kennedy said he may prohibit government scientists from publishing research in major peer-reviewed medical journals such as JAMA, Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine "because they're all corrupt." Kennedy proposed an HHS publication where government scientists could publish research findings. "When scientific reform is weaponized to only denigrate science and scientists whose studies contradict your beliefs or your wishes, we get to a very dark place," Oransky said.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Citations without science: Donald Trump's kids' health report built on fiction
This is a representative AI image US President Donald Trump administration's report on children's health, touted as a 'clear, evidence-based foundation' for policy action, is under scrutiny after it was found to contain multiple fabricated citations. The controversial report, issued last week by the presidential Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission, referenced studies that do not exist and misattributed authorship to real researchers. The report, which was meant to guide federal action on children's health concerns such as mental illness, asthma medication, and the impact of drug advertising, has now drawn widespread criticism from experts for lacking academic rigour. Fake citations and AI concerns Among the false references was a study supposedly authored by Columbia University epidemiologist Katherine Keyes. The paper, which the report cited on adolescent mental health and substance use, does not exist, and Keyes herself denied ever having written it. "It makes me concerned about the rigour of the report, if these really basic citation practices aren't being followed," Keyes told reporters. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar The discrepancies were first exposed by the news outlet NOTUS and further investigated by The New York Times, which uncovered additional faulty references. In response, the White House uploaded a revised version of the report with corrected citations by Thursday afternoon. Medical journalism expert Dr Ivan Oransky, co-founder of the watchdog site Retraction Watch, said the nature of the errors suggested the use of generative artificial intelligence. White House sidesteps AI questions At a Thursday press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt deflected questions about the report's preparation, referring inquiries to the department of health and human services (HHS). Emily Hilliard, a spokesperson for HHS, did not confirm whether AI had been used but dismissed the citation issues as 'minor citation and formatting errors.' 'The substance of the MAHA report remains the same — a historic and transformative assessment by the federal government to understand the chronic disease epidemic afflicting our nation's children,' Hilliard said. Mixed reception from medical community While some health researchers support the report's critiques of synthetic chemicals and ultraprocessed foods in the American diet, others are deeply concerned about its claims. Notably, the report suggests that routine childhood vaccines could be harmful, a claim widely disputed by scientists and public health officials who argue it reflects a flawed understanding of immunology. The revelation of fake citations has only deepened scepticism. 'It undermines confidence in the report's findings,' said Keyes.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Straits Times
White House health report included fake citations
The report, from the presidential Make America Healthy Again Commission, cited studies that did not exist. PHOTO: AFP WASHINGTON - The Trump administration released a report last week that it billed as a 'clear, evidence-based foundation' for action on a range of children's health issues. But the report, from the presidential Make America Healthy Again Commission, cited studies that did not exist. These included fictitious studies on direct-to-consumer drug advertising, mental illness and medications prescribed for children with asthma. 'It makes me concerned about the rigor of the report, if these really basic citation practices aren't being followed,' said Professor Katherine Keyes, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University who was listed as the author of a paper on mental health and substance use among adolescents. Professor Keyes has not written any paper by the title the report cited, nor does one seem to exist by any author. News outlet NOTUS first reported the presence of false citations, and The New York Times identified additional faulty references. By midafternoon on May 29, the White House had uploaded a new copy of the report with corrections. Dr Ivan Oransky – who teaches medical journalism at New York University and is a co-founder of Retraction Watch, a website that tracks retractions of scientific research – said the errors in the report were characteristic of the use of generative artificial intelligence, which has led to similar issues in legal filings and more. Asked at a news conference on May 29 whether the report had relied on AI, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt deferred to the Department of Health and Human Services. Ms Emily Hilliard, a spokesperson for the department, did not answer a question about the source of the fabricated references and downplayed them as 'minor citation and formatting errors'. She said that 'the substance of the MAHA report remains the same – a historic and transformative assessment by the federal government to understand the chronic disease epidemic afflicting our nation's children.' Researchers previously told the Times that they agreed with many of the report's points, like its criticism of synthetic chemicals in the US food supply and of the prevalence of ultraprocessed foods. But doctors have disagreed with some of the report's other suggestions, including that routine childhood vaccines may be harmful – which scientists say is based on an incorrect understanding of immunology. The news that some citations were fake further undermines confidence in the report's findings, Professor Keyes said. NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
