RFK Jr’s HHS Deploys ChatGPT for All Staff

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has thrown the Department of Health and Human Services into turmoil through a series of bizarre and idiotic policy decisions, and now, to make things better, he’s apparently forcing everybody who remains at the pivotal health agency to use a chatbot. That should sort everything out.

404 Media reports that HHS employees received an email on Tuesday entitled “AI Deployment,” which explained that ChatGPT would now be available to everybody at the agency. 404 writes that the deployment of the chatbot will be overseen by HHS’s new CIO, former Palantir employee Clark Minor. The email was confirmed by other outlets.

“Artificial intelligence is beginning to improve health care, business, and government,” the email, sent by deputy secretary Jim O’Neill and seen by 404 Media, begins. “Our department is committed to supporting and encouraging this transformation. In many offices around the world, the growing administrative burden of extensive emails and meetings can distract even highly motivated people from getting things done. We should all be vigilant against barriers that could slow our progress toward making America healthy again.”

The email went on: “I’m excited to move us forward by making ChatGPT available to everyone in the Department effective immediately,” it adds. “Some operating divisions, such as FDA and ACF [Administration for Children and Families], have already benefitted from specific deployments of large language models to enhance their work, and now the rest of us can join them. This tool can help us promote rigorous science, radical transparency, and robust good health. As Secretary Kennedy said, ‘The AI revolution has arrived.’”

As Kennedy slashes staff and eradicates vital health programs, the notion that the “AI revolution” is going to provide anything even remotely helpful to the remaining HHS staff is laughable at best. That said, given Kennedy’s preference for relying on poorly sourced bullshit rather than long-established science, I guess relying on a chatbot prone to hallucination pretty much tracks. Gizmodo reached out to the HHS for more information on how it plans to integrate AI into its operations and will update this story when we hear back.

Kennedy has rolled out countless destabilizing policies at the HHS over the past year, including attacks on the agency’s vaccine program. Earlier this year, under his supervision, the agency fired many thousands of staff. More recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saw many prominent staffers (including its director) step down in protest of Kennedy’s policies. The new director is Jim O’Neill, who—like HHS’s CIO—also previously worked for a company owned by rightwing billionaire Peter Thiel.