Latest news with #RobertFKennedyJr.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
The AI Slop Scandal Around the MAHA Report Is Getting Worse
It came to light this week that a new government report from the "Make America Healthy Again" Commission led by Robert F Kennedy Jr. contained botched citations for scientific papers that didn't exist. This is almost certainly a sign that some form of generative AI was involved to draft a very consequential piece of medical agenda-setting, coming out of the US's top health agency, the Department of Health and Human Services. Now, some additional reporting suggests that the paper's flaws go even deeper — yes, even deeper than allegedly relying on a technology known for making stuff up and then being surprised that it made stuff up. But first, let's highlight how the White House finally decided to respond to the criticism of the report, which has been "very poorly and not convincingly at all." On Thursday, the White House said that it would fix the errors in the government report — and it did, releasing a new version with corrected citations. But press secretary Karoline Leavitt also took the opportunity to construe the affair as the press getting worked up about a few errant typos. "I understand there was some formatting issues with the MAHA report that are being addressed and the report will be updated," Leavitt told reporters during a press briefing, as quoted by the Associated Press. "But it does not negate the substance of the report." "Minor citation and formatting errors have been corrected," HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon told the AP in a statement. Led by noted anti-vaxxer and all-around crackpot RKF Jr., the "MAHA Report" purports to be a tell-all on why Americans, and especially children, are so unhealthy. Both Leavitt and Nixon described the report as "transformative." That's a questionable claim. As NOTUS first reported on Thursday, several of the studies cited in the report do not exist at all, including one called "Overprescribing of Oral Corticosteroids for Children With Asthma," which was used to argue that doctors are giving kids too much medicine. This "study" has never been referenced anywhere outside the MAHA report. Lawyers have been sanctioned for similar behavior in court. It gets dumber. The Washington Post found that 37 of the paper's 522 footnotes are inexplicably repeated multiple times. Some of the citations also include an "oaicite" appended to the URLs, which refers to OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT. This is a "definitive sign" that the research was gathered using an AI, WaPo concluded. And the flaws go beyond bogus citations, or "minor" perils of "formatting," in Leavitt's parlance. As experts told the NYT, some of the papers that were correctly cited were still inaccurately summarized — if in fact they weren't being deliberately misconstrued. The report argued, in one case, that a 40-fold increase in bipolar disorder and ADHD diagnoses in children between 1994 to 2003 was propelled by loosened criteria in a fifth edition of a guide used by psychiatrists, per the NYT. But that fifth edition, it turns out, didn't come out until 2013. And that "40-fold increase" the report touted appears to come from a 2007 study which makes zero mention of an uptick in ADHD. Even if you could somehow excuse using an AI chatbot to help speed up composing what's supposed to be the cynosure of the US's public health policy going forward, the sheer levels of sloppiness on display can only leave you to conclude that either RFK and his lackeys have no idea what they're doing and have no business writing a serious scientific document, or that they're trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the American public, cynical enough to ask an AI model to conjure up studies to fit whatever narrative they're peddling. "This is not an evidence-based report, and for all practical purposes, it should be junked at this point," Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, told WaPo. "It cannot be used for any policymaking. It cannot even be used for any serious discussion, because you can't believe what's in it." More on AI: This Sleazy GLP-1 Prescription Site Is Using Deepfaked "Before-and-After" Photos of Fake Patients, and Running Ads Showing AI-Generated Ozempic Boxes
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Make America ChatGPT again: Experts say AI was used to create RFK Jr health report that cited false studies
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.'s 'Make America Healthy Again' report appears to have used garbled artificial intelligence to generate scientific citations, in addition to referencing studies that do not exist. Kennedy's MAHA report, released last week, decried America's food supply, pesticides and prescription drugs. It cited hundreds of studies, but the outlet NOTUS found that some of those studies did not actually exist. Now experts have found evidence that scientific citations in the report were generated by AI, which experts slammed as 'sloppy' and 'shoddy,' The Washington Post reports. Experts told the newspaper that there are definitive signs that the references in the report were generated by the U.S. artificial intelligence company OpenAI. Some citations included 'oaicite' attached to URLs, a marker that the company's chatbot was used to generate the references. The use of AI in citations undermines the credibility of the report, George C. Benjamin of the American Public Health Association told the outlet. 'This is not an evidence-based report, and for all practical purposes, it should be junked at this point,' the executive director said. 'It cannot be used for any policymaking. It cannot even be used for any serious discussion, because you can't believe what's in it.' Analysis conducted by The Post found that at least 21 links in the original version of the report to scientific studies or articles were dead. On Thursday afternoon, the report was updated to remove mentions of 'oaicite' markers and it continued to be worked on overnight, according to the newspaper. The Department of Health and Human Services characterized it as 'minor citation and formatting errors' in a statement to outlet and said that they have since been corrected. '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,' department spokesperson Andrew Nixon 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.' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was also questioned about the bungled report at Thursday's briefing and maintained it was 'backed on good science.' 'I understand there was some formatting issues with the MAHA report that are being addressed and the report will be updated.' Leavitt told reporters. 'But it does not negate the substance of the report, which, as you know, is one of the most transformative health reports that has ever been released by the federal government.' But experts told The Post that the report should be discarded. 'The idea that they would envelop themselves in the shroud of scientific excellence while producing a report that relies heavily on AI is just shockingly hypocritical,' said Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and a former Food and Drug Administration official in the Obama administration.
News18
7 days ago
- Health
- News18
US Detects Cases Of New Covid Variant Linked To Surge In China
Last Updated: CDC informed that the variant has been found through airport surveillance testing at major entry points, including California, Washington State, Virginia, and New York City. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday confirmed the presence of NB.1.8.1, a highly contagious COVID-19 variant in the United States. Notably, the variant has driven a surge in hospitalisations across China. According to reports, the strain was first detected in international travelers arriving at US airports between late March and early April. CDC informed that the variant has been found through airport surveillance testing at major entry points, including California, Washington State, Virginia, and New York City. Meanwhile, New York Post reported that additional cases have been confirmed in Ohio, Rhode Island, and Hawaii. Health authorities in the US are now closely monitoring the variant, which is now dominant in China and is on the rise in parts of Asia. Meanwhile, studies have showed that NB.1.8.1– which is part of the JN.1 group of variants– is easy to spread in comparison to other variants, it does not cause severe illness. In fact, several vaccines are also available in the market to target it. advetisement NB.1.8.1 Variant Surge In China China recently reported a surge in COVID-19 cases linked to the NB.1.8.1 variant. While China is already facing rise in emergency room visits and hospital admissions across the country, Hong Kong authorities have reported the worst COVID surge in at least a year. Commonly reported symptoms of the variant include respiratory issues such as cough and sore throat, as well as systemic effects like fever and fatigue. Despite the latest variant displaying high transmissibility, the Trump administration is planning to limit booster vaccine access to some groups. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is planning to limit booster vaccine access to some groups, despite the latest variant displaying high transmissibility. The US administration has stopped recommending routine COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children and pregnant women. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr., along with FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, announced that the shots have been removed from the CDC's recommended immunization schedule. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: May 28, 2025, 07:19 IST
Mint
15-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Ben & Jerry's co-founder Ben Cohen dragged out of US Senate shouting, ‘Congress pays to kill children in Gaza'
Ben Cohen, the co-founder of Ben & Jerry's ice cream was handcuffed and dragged out of the United States Senate for protesting Congress' 'paying for bombs that kill poor children in Gaza'. In a video posted on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Ben Cohen said: 'I told Congress they're killing poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs, and they're paying for it by kicking poor kids off Medicaid in the US. This was the authorities' response. (sic)' 'You're killing poor kids in Gaza and paying for it by cutting Medicaid for kids here. Let food into Gaza,' Ben Cohen was heard shouting as he was arrested from the public gallery and led away. Bloomberg reported that Capitol Police charged Ben Cohen under a District of Columbia code that prohibits crowding, obstructing or incommoding — a citation often used in civil disobedience cases in the capital. Six other protestors also face charges, including a serious one for assaulting a police officer, the BB report added. The video has been viewed 24 lakh times (at time of writing), and generated a host of comments, quotes and posts supporting the 74-year-old businessman and philanthropist who has been vocal in his support for the Palestinians. He was among six other protestors forcibly removed from the Senate hearing on May 14, for lodging their protests during the speech by Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr., who was visibly startled by the interruption. RFK Jr. was presenting his department's budget proposal. Ben Cohen, who is Jewish, in 2024 was among other prominent Jewish figures who signed an open letter opposing the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC. 'I understand that I have a higher profile than most people and so I raise my voice, it gets heard. But I need you and others to understand that I speak for millions of people who feel the same way,' he had said. Speaking to AFP after his release, Ben Cohen said that he was speaking on behalf of 'millions of Americans outraged by the slaughter in Gaza'. 'It got to a point where we had to do something. It is scandalising that the US approved $20 billion worth of bombs for Israel even as social programs are squeezed back home. The majority of Americans hate what's going on, what our country is doing with our money and in our name,' told the agency. According to a Pew Research Center Poll conducted in April 2025, the general pubic opinion towards Israel in the US has become increasingly unfavorable, especially among Democrats. Ben Cohen also raised the issue of 'moral and spiritual breach', saying, 'Condoning and being complicit in the slaughter of tens of thousands of people strikes at the core of us as far as human beings and what our country stands for. The US pours roughly half its discretionary budget into war-related spending. If you spent half of that money making lives better around the world, I think there'd be a whole lot less friction.' Founded by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in 1978, Ben & Jerry's was bought by Unilever in 2000, with an agreement established an independent board at Ben & Jerry's to protect its social values. (With inputs from Agencies)
France 24
15-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Ben & Jerry's cofounder removed from Senate in Gaza protest
Cohen, 74, was among a group of protesters who startled Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. by interrupting his testimony about his department's budget proposal. Shouting that "Congress pays for bombs to kill children in Gaza" while lawmakers move to slash Medicaid -- the health insurance program for low‑income families -- the businessman and philanthropist was placed in handcuffs by Capitol Police. He urged senators to press Israel to let food reach "starving kids" as he was led away. "It got to a point where we had to do something," Cohen said in an interview after his release, calling it "scandalizing" that the US approved "$20 billion worth of bombs" for Israel even as social programs are squeezed back home. "The majority of Americans hate what's going on, what our country is doing with our money and in our name," he said. US public opinion toward Israel has become increasingly unfavorable, especially among Democrats, according to a Pew Research Center Poll last month. Beyond the spending, Cohen framed the issue as a moral and "spiritual" breach. "Condoning and being complicit in the slaughter of tens of thousands of people strikes at the core of us as far as human beings and what our country stands for," he said, pointing to the fact that the United States pours roughly half its discretionary budget into war‑related spending. "If you spent half of that money making lives better around the world, I think there'd be a whole lot less friction." Invoking a parenting analogy, he added: "You go to a three-year-old who goes around hitting people and you say 'Use your words.' There's issues between countries but you can work them out without killing." A longtime critic of Israeli policy, Cohen last year joined prominent Jewish figures in an open letter opposing the pro‑Israel lobby AIPAC. "I understand that I have a higher profile than most people and so I raise my voice, it gets heard. But I need you and others to understand that I speak for millions of people who feel the same way." Israel's war in Gaza began after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 52,928 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the territory's Hamas-run health ministry, which the United Nations considers reliable. Gaza is at "critical risk of famine," with the entire population facing a food crisis after more than two months of an Israeli aid blockade, and 22 percent facing a humanitarian "catastrophe," a UN-backed food security monitor warned this week.
