The 73-page report „Make America healthy again” (MAHA), commissioned by the Trump administration to examine the causes of chronic diseases and promoted by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr as a scientific benchmark, includes references to studies that appear to be entirely invented and others that researchers say have been misinterpreted. And there are indications that the document was created with the help of AI.
The most important report of the health commission led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr cites studies that do not exist, according to a journalistic investigation reported by The Guardian.
The American publication Notus discovered blatant scientific errors in the report coordinated by the Health Secretary, who earlier this week threatened to ban U.S. government scientists from publishing in top medical journals.
Invented Studies, Non-existent Research, and Misinterpretations
The 73-page report "Make America healthy again" was commissioned by the Trump administration to examine the causes of chronic diseases in the U.S. and is supported by over 500 citations.
However, a press investigation found references to seven studies that appear to be entirely invented and others that researchers say have been misinterpreted.
Two alleged studies on advertising for ADHD medications simply do not exist in the journals where they are claimed to be published. Virginia Commonwealth University confirmed to Notus that researcher Robert L. Findling, listed as an author of a paper, never wrote such an article, while another citation even leads to the Kennedy commission report when searched online.
Harold J. Farber, a pediatric specialist who seems to be behind research on excessive prescriptions of asthma medications, said to the mentioned publication that he did not write the cited work and never worked with the other listed authors.
- Trump Does Not Rule Out Stopping Vaccination Programs for Children in the U.S. and Links It to Autism, Contrary to Science
- After Promising to "Make America Healthy," Trump and His Future Health Minister Indulged in Burgers and French Fries (Photo)
Beyond the phantom studies in Kennedy's report, Notus found that the document systematically distorted existing research. For example, it claimed that a study showed that speech therapy was as effective as psychiatric medication. However, statistician Joanne McKenzie said this was impossible - "we did not include psychotherapy" in the study.
Mariana G. Figueiro, specializing in sleep disorders, also said that her study was misinterpreted, with the report incorrectly stating that "children rather than students" were involved in the research and citing the study entirely wrong.
Work of a Harsh Critic of Vaccination and Research
The issues with misquoting in the MAHA report arise after Kennedy, a well-known vaccine skeptic, criticized medical publications this week, labeling top journals such as The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, and JAMA as "corrupt" and claiming they are controlled by pharmaceutical companies.
Instead, he outlined plans to create journals managed by the U.S. government, as noted by the British daily.
The Trump administration asked Kennedy for the report to analyze the causes of chronic diseases in the U.S. The document cites exposure to environmental toxins, poor nutrition, and increased screen time as contributing to the decreased life expectancy of Americans.
The three-month elaborated report contained main ideas combined with highly controversial elements, including doubts about the current vaccination program for children.
Kennedy called the document "a milestone" providing "an evidence-based foundation" for radical health policy changes.
A follow-up to the report, titled "Strategy to Make our children healthy again," is expected in August, raising concerns about the scientific credibility underlying the health agenda of the Trump administration, as reported by The Guardian.
Indications of Artificial Intelligence Use
Some of the citations underlying the scientific data in the White House's MAHA report appear to have been generated using artificial intelligence, leading to numerous unclear references and invented studies, AI experts consulted by The Washington Post said.
They noted that out of the 522 footnotes in an initial version of the report sent to the American newspaper, at least 37 appear multiple times. Other citations include the wrong author, and several mentioned studies do not exist at all. For example, at least 21 of the included links were inactive.
Some references include symbols attached to URLs, clear signs that the data was collected using an OpenAI program, a U.S. artificial intelligence company.
Another distinctive sign of AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT, is the unusually repetitive content that sounds non-human or inaccurate - as well as the tendency to mix studies or responses that seem to make sense but are not real.
"The confusing scientific quotes betray improper science and undermine the credibility of the report," said Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association.
"This is not an evidence-based report and, for all practical purposes, it should be abandoned at this point. It cannot be used for any strategy. It cannot even be used for a serious discussion because you can't believe what's in it," he emphasized.
AI technology can be legitimately used to quickly analyze research in a field. However, Oren Etzioni, an emeritus professor at the University of Washington studying AI, said he was shocked by the negligence in the MAHA report.
"Honestly, this is shoddy work. We deserve better," he said.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr has long promised to use artificial intelligence to make healthcare in America better and more efficient, recently stating in a U.S. Congress hearing that he even saw a prototype of an AI medical assistant "that could revolutionize healthcare delivery in rural areas."
The White House Has Started Corrections
The White House decided on Thursday to correct false citations and other errors in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s commission report, as confirmed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The White House uploaded an updated version on Thursday afternoon, as reported by Axios.
"We understand there were some formatting issues with the MAHA report that are being addressed, and the report will be updated. But it does not deny the substance of the report, which, as you know, is one of the most transformative health reports ever released by the federal government," said Karoline Leavitt on Thursday during a press conference.
The same stance was taken by HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon, who stated in an email sent to several American press institutions that "minor citation and formatting errors have been corrected, but the substance of the MAHA report remains the same - a historic and transformative assessment by the federal government to understand the epidemic of chronic diseases affecting our nation's children."