Well, that is a statement..! As an MD PhD with over 60 (co-)publications including multiple in top 1% journals I can say for sure that this is untrue. Of course this may be different per topic and country, but there is perfect research being published by non-PhD scientists. In fact, the PI from a top-tier US university I collaborate with for over 10 years doesn't even have a PhD.
Both your statement and the OPs are an appeal to expertise which is not a substitute for the scientific method.
You can be a PI without having a PhD?
I've seen this a few times- for example, my manager at Berkeley Lab was a PI but only had an undergrad degree. This is very rare, however.
Even Hassabis found time to do a PhD. This is extra strange.