According to Gizmodo, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced a $2 million prize competition called the Caregiving Artificial Intelligence Prize Competition. The initiative, revealed on Tuesday, seeks “innovators” who can develop AI tools to support caregivers for elderly and disabled Americans. Kennedy’s statement claims this advances his “Make America Healthy Again Strategy Report” by “mobilizing innovation to lighten caregivers’ load.” Meanwhile, Kennedy hired Calley Means, a key figure from his MAHA movement who owns health company TrueMed, as a senior HHS advisor. The announcement comes as Kennedy faces renewed attention over his admitted “digital” affair with journalist Olivia Nuzzi, who recently published a memoir discussing their relationship.
The AI healthcare reality check
Here’s the thing about throwing AI at healthcare problems: we’ve seen this movie before. The HHS competition announcement uses all the right buzzwords—”empower caregivers,” “improve efficiency,” “expand access”—but what does that actually mean in practice? We know AI can do some amazing things in medicine, like that USC research showing AI can detect cancer in blood samples. But caregiver support? That’s mostly about human connection, emotional labor, and physical assistance—areas where AI traditionally struggles.
Kennedy’s parallel agenda
While this AI competition is happening, Kennedy is quietly staffing HHS with people who share his particular health philosophies. Calley Means, the new senior advisor, has been vocal about opposing processed foods and promoting alternative health approaches through his company. This hiring suggests Kennedy isn’t just looking for technological solutions—he’s building an infrastructure to advance his specific health worldview. And given his track record of firing vaccine experts and making controversial statements about common medications, it raises questions about what “innovation” really means in this context.
The credibility question
Let’s be honest—timing matters. This $2 million AI push comes while Kennedy is dealing with the fallout from Olivia Nuzzi’s memoir and the very public discussion of their “digital” relationship. When your health czar is becoming a punchline on social media and facing scrutiny over personal conduct, it’s hard to take bold new initiatives seriously. Throwing money at AI feels like trying to change the conversation rather than addressing fundamental healthcare challenges. Basically, when you’re laying off experienced health professionals while launching vague tech competitions, people are going to wonder about your priorities.
