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# Sources Question FDA Internal AI: NBC
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/sources-question-fda-internal-ai-nbc/
- Published: 2025-06-04T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T15:13:22.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: FDA Policy/General, #legacy-id-D5159306

Two anonymous sources said to be familiar with the artificial intelligence (AI) tools FDA is rolling out to speed agency reviews and approvals tell NBC News the rollout may be moving too quickly. The sources [said](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fdas-ai-tool-medical-devices-struggles-simple-tasks-rcna210340?ref=fdaweb.com) CDRH-GPT, still in beta testing in CDRH, is buggy, doesn’t yet connect to agency internal systems, and has issues uploading documents or allowing users to submit questions. The sources also said the AI tool is not connected to the Internet and can’t access new content such as recently published studies or anything behind a paywall.

The article quotes NYU Langone Medical Center medical ethics director **Arthur Caplan** as worrying that the agency is moving too quickly with its AI tool “out of desperation before it’s ready to perform.”

The article also discusses Elsa, a new AI tool that has been provided to all employees. While FDA commissioner **Martin Makary** said he was told by a reviewer that a task that used to take two to three days was completed by Elsa in six minutes, sources said many staff feel it’s being rushed.

“AI tools to help with certain tasks for reviewers and scientists seems reasonable given the potential utility of AI,” one person said. But NBC says that person disagreed with the aggressive roll-out and the claims that work could be reduced by hours and days.

“When staff tested the tool 6/2 with questions about FDA-approved products or other public information, it provided summaries that were either incorrect or only partially accurate, one of the people said,” the article reported.

University of Minnesota law professor **Richard Painter**, who is a former government ethics lawyer, told NBC News there is a concern about potential conflicts of interest and questioned whether there is a protocol in place to prevent any government official, such as an FDA reviewer, from having financial ties with companies that could benefit from AI.