Tuesday at the Make America Healthy Again Summit, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said artificial intelligence can give patients “a far more informed second opinion than any doctor in the country.” He said he had the power to “liberate us from medical tyranny.” He also said that public officials who tell Americans to rely on experts can “never again” dominate them: “If someone tells you that a vaccine will prevent transmission and infection, or that you need to take it to protect your grandmother, AI can say it doesn’t.”
The same day, the White House launched America.gov. He promises “simple answers from official government sources only.” His responses on health cite the agencies Kennedy leads: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
So I asked America.gov for a second opinion. I sent him 37 questions. The answers were often complicated, because the official sources no longer agreed with each other.
What is America.gov?
A decree signed on September 29 makes the site “a single digital entry point” for federal services. The White House National Design Studio built it, the General Services Administration runs it, and it’s powered by xAI’s Gemini and Grok, drawing on about 29,000 government websites. But when I asked what AI it was running on, he said, “I don’t share details about the underlying software.”
What does he say about vaccines and autism?
I started with autism and vaccines. In November 2025, Kennedy ordered a modification of a CDC page. The page now says: “The claim that ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not based on evidence.” » Yet other CDC pages claim the studies find no link.
The chatbot has not chosen a side. Since both pages are official, they opened with “CDC pages currently do not all say the same thing.” He cites both versions and points to health officials in New York and Colorado, who call the new wording inconsistent with research. Then he said: “I cannot verify a single federal finding covering all vaccines. »
How does it decide which page wins?
I asked. He said he preferred “the agency that manages the program for a final decision.” After that, he prefers “the most recent official source.” The rule seems reasonable because agencies typically update a page when science or policy changes. This fails when a court has paused the most recent page, as happened with the hepatitis B vaccine.
Last December, the CDC dropped its recommendation that every newborn be vaccinated against hepatitis B. But in March, a federal judge suspended that change and reinstated the recommendation for every newborn. The government appealed.
I asked about the newborn hepatitis B vaccine in three different ways. Because the December page is the most recent, the chatbot chose it, but that’s wrong. It is always recommended that a newborn be vaccinated against hepatitis B.
The chatbot never mentioned the court order
In June 2025, Kennedy fired all 17 members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee, call the panel “a little more than a buffer for any vaccine.” He named his own replacements. In December of that year, his appointees voted 8 to 3 end the recommendation of a hepatitis B vaccine at birth for every newborn.
On March 16, Judge Brian E. Murphy of the Massachusetts federal court suspended this vote. It found that Kennedy’s new committee likely violated a federal law requiring balanced advisory committees. His order therefore also suspended appointments for new members and a January overhaul of the children’s calendar.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and other groups had sued. His order also suspended appointments of new committee members and a January overhaul of the childhood calendar. The previous schedule, including the birth dose, has returned to effect.
I asked America.gov about the newborn photo three different ways. Each time, the chatbot told me to prefer the December 2025 CDC and HHS fact sheets, without ever mentioning the court order.
The chatbot said the CDC announced a new “three-category” schedule in January. The court also suspended the January calendar.
What else was wrong?
Regarding insulin, he says, “Most Part D plans cap insulin at $35 for a monthly supply (participating plans; check your formulary).” “Participating plans” describes a voluntary Medicare pilot that began in 2021. About 38% of Part D plans have signed on, according to KFF. In the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, Congress extended the $35 cap to each Part D plan. The chatbot described the pilot and omitted the law that replaced it.
Specific answers on raw milk, smoking, more
When I typed in chest pain and numb left arm, his first words were “Call 9-1-1 now.” For a toddler who had swallowed blood pressure pills, the Poison Control number was placed first. He guided me through the Medicare Part D enrollment windows and Medicaid appeals. His responses in Spanish matched his responses in English. He claims that raw milk is no healthier than pasteurized milk and that smoking causes lung cancer.
The White House responds
CBS News has asked the White House and HHS for comment on the chatbot’s responses. A White House official responded: “America.gov will continue to be updated to provide Americans with the most accurate and reliable federal information and resources. »
Should people use America.gov?
Use it to find forms and deadlines. Ask your health care professional your health questions.
This article originally appeared in Dr. Céline Gounder’s “Underlying Conditions” newsletter on Substack. Read more and subscribe here.
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