Dr. Oz sparks outrage by suggesting AI avatars replace doctors in rural America

Trump administration Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services chief Dr. Mehmet Oz ignited backlash Monday after suggesting rural communities would be best served by AI “avatars” standing in for doctors — comments that landed as especially jarring amid deep funding cuts to already struggling rural hospitals. Speaking alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at an “Action for Progress” event, Oz framed artificial intelligence as an unavoidable solution to health care shortages, prompting critics to accuse the administration of pushing techno-fixes while gutting real-world care. The remarks set off a wave of online outrage, with health experts and commentators mocking the idea as quackery and warning that proven solutions like expanding nurse practitioner authority are being ignored in favor of flashy, disconnected alternatives.

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Dr. Oz sparks outrage by suggesting AI avatars replace doctors in rural AmericaDr. Oz sparks outrage by suggesting AI avatars replace doctors in rural America