Health experts are sounding the alarm, as a new AI tool appears to be intended to "amplify doubt" about pollution science. According to reports by the Guardian, risk analyst and former Trump administration EPA adviser Louis Anthony Cox Jr. is now using artificial intelligence to inflate his own claims and attempt to minimize academic research that reveals the health risks associated with air pollution.

What's happening?

"Tony" Cox Jr. is known for seeding public doubt and spreading controversial opinions. The Guardian noted how Cox "reportedly claimed there is no proof that cleaning air saves lives," a piece of propaganda used to back big oil and gas. 

What's more, Cox has been accused of "flimsiness at research linking exposure to chemical compounds with health dangers," noted the Guardian, which said he violated research objectivity by allowing a dirty energy lobbying group, the American Petroleum Institute, to "copy edit" his findings. The Guardian said Cox got the funding for the new AI tool from the American Chemistry Council (ACC), which is a major advocacy organization that serves the interests of member companies such as Exxon and DuPont.

In a statement, Cox said he wanted to "correct the record" and said that the AI tool he has been using "is a voluntary, experimental pre-submission screening tool designed to help authors assess whether their manuscripts are within scope for specific scientific journals" and said that "it neither stores data nor interacts with editorial decisions."

"I categorically reject the baseless claim that this tool is being used to 'debunk pollution science,'" Cox said. "It is not used to evaluate research conclusions of any kind and it has no built-in agenda. It has no connection whatsoever to pollution science."

As the Guardian reported it, though, Cox himself allegedly promoted the effort as being designed to weed what he considered "'propaganda' out of epidemiological research and perform 'critical thinking at scale' in emails to industry researchers, which were obtained via Freedom of Information Act requests by the Energy and Policy Institute, a non-profit advocacy group, and exclusively reviewed by the Guardian."

The Guardian's FOIA requests also led to the outlet determining that Cox, through logs connected to his University of Colorado email address, had met with the Long-Range Research Initiative, a lobbying organization that represents companies including Exxon, "just hours before" he began probing Chat-GPT with various queries such as "Does PM2.5 cause lung cancer?"

Considering that Cox has been reported as taking funding for his work at times from companies that majorly contribute to air pollution, such as Exxon, the Guardian's reporting suggests that the new AI initiative appears to be yet another attack on science-backed research that would serve to help the dirty energy industry. 

Chris Frey of North Carolina State University's College of Engineering explained to the Guardian that the ACC "cannot be trusted as a source of 'objectivity, transparency, and trustworthiness of scientific research,'" when that research is "aimed at understanding the human health harms caused by chemicals manufactured by their members."

Cox's research studies are often backed by polluting companies, such as Phillip Morris, Exxon, and Chevron. Some of these studies included claims that there is no "causal link between childhood asthma and gas stove exposure" and that "there is no proven connection between air pollution and respiratory problems or heart attacks," when significant studies without corporate funding have found otherwise.

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Why are Cox's claims concerning?

Cox's claims are concerning because they not only spread misinformation but also continue to fund big polluting industries, such as the tobacco, oil, and gas industries. Gas stoves emit nitrogen dioxide, an invisible air pollutant that can cause asthma, coughing, wheezing, and lung inflammation. 

Individuals living in smaller spaces are at an especially high risk, as a study from Stanford University found that  "someone living in a smaller home with a gas stove could be exposed to 75% of the WHO's benchmark for nitrogen dioxide."

In his statement, Cox pushed back against accusations that he allows polluting companies to influence his work while acknowledging that he has conducted "both publicly and privately funded research"; he also acknowledged that there are indeed health risks from air pollution.

"The insinuation that I allow outside interests to 'copy edit' or control my findings is false and defamatory," Cox said. "Like many academics, I sometimes receive comments on early drafts from various stakeholders. However, the conclusions are based on scientific evidence and are mine alone—subject to peer review, not to industry, government, or any other form of pressure."

"... Over the years, I have conducted both publicly and privately funded research—always with full disclosure, rigorous peer review, and a commitment to methodological transparency. I do not 'deny' air pollution health risks; I focus on improving the validity of causal inferences from observational data, a goal shared by leading epidemiologists and risk scientists."

What's being done about Cox's misinformation campaign and indoor air pollution?

Experts are holding Cox accountable for his questionable claims and disputing of evidence-backed facts, but individuals can also follow those facts to make their own decisions on what is best for their families. 

For homeowners seeking to minimize their exposure to indoor air pollution, research highlights the benefits of modern tech designed to reduce air pollution, such as electric vehicles and induction stoves. Studies have shown that induction stoves are more energy-efficient and healthier for human lungs, and they're also affordable. For renters looking for a smaller financial commitment, plug-in induction burners are an excellent and affordable option, starting at just $50.

Tax credits of up to $7,500 for EVs are ending on Sept. 30 following the passage of the "Big Beautiful Bill," but the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates program remained intact, so homeowners in almost every U.S. state can still continue to earn up to $840 off the cost of an installed induction range beyond that date.

Editor's note: This article was updated after publishing to include statements from Cox.

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