That's my understanding as well from what I've read, but everything I've read (before AI existed) indicates he's more of a small-town family practice doctor; while that doesn't preclude award-winning work with AIDS patients, it doesn't sound right to me given the timing, location, and the fact that there is an Ed Roberts who did that sort of work on the other side of the country.

More explicitly: I'm wondering if this wasn't at least partially AI-written, because that's a pretty fundamental error and you'd think a human researcher/writer would easily tell the difference between two Dr Ed Roberts's with no particular relationship on different coasts.

Or maybe we're learning something new about Ed Roberts (Altair guy) -- but given the world today I suspect not.