AI firms sponsor MAHA health summit attended by top US officials

In short: A Washington health summit featuring senior US officials listed major corporate sponsors, including AI companies OpenAI and Anthropic, and that mix drew questions about access and conflicts.

What happened

The 2026 Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Summit was held on September 29 in Washington, D.C. Vice President JD Vance and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were scheduled to close the day with a joint conversation. Other officials listed as participants included Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin.

The summit brought government leaders together with companies in health, technology, food, and wellness. Sponsors included OpenAI and Anthropic, along with Walmart, Hims & Hers, and Noom. Topics at the event included AI and health care.

Reporting said some sponsorship packages offered companies speaking opportunities, with some packages reportedly reaching $300,000. That raised concerns because some sponsors and participants have business interests in areas overseen by federal agencies represented at the summit.

Why it matters

When companies help fund an event where top officials speak, people can worry it works like paying for a better seat at the table (like buying VIP access at a concert). Sponsorship and participation alone do not prove anyone got special treatment or that officials acted improperly. HHS said the department and its officials were not involved in planning or sponsoring the summit.

The AI angle matters because health policy decisions can shape how AI tools are used in clinics. Kennedy reportedly praised AI as a way to get second opinions, but AI systems can still make mistakes, so doctors and regulators still need to oversee how these tools are used.

Source: NYTimes