DOGE Accelerates AI Deployment in Government, Raising Concerns Amid Job Cuts

Amid Job Cuts, DOGE Accelerates Rollout of AI Tool to Automate Government Tasks

DOGE began testing the GSAi chatbot with 150 GSA employees in February and it has now rolled out to 1,500 agency employees. It was under development for several months before DOGE arrived, but DOGE accelerated the rollout, sources tell Wired. GSAi's default AI model is Claude Haiku 3.5, but users can switch to Claude Sonnet 3.5 v2 or Meta Llama 3.2. Employees were told in an internal memo that they could use GSAi to draft emails, create talking points, summarize text, and write code. The tool was designed to be safe for government use, though employees have been warned against entering sensitive data. The Treasury and Health and Human Services Departments have also considered using a GSA chatbot for some of their tasks, but it's unclear if that chatbot is GSAi, Wired notes. The GSAi deployment comes as DOGE has been cutting programs and firing federal employees, ostensibly to reduce federal spending. Last week, DOGE shut down a technology consulting unit of the GSA called 18F. The GSA -- which handles federal real estate, acquisition services, and technology -- has been cleaning house overall, firing hundreds of people across divisions.

Is AI about to replace thousands of government workers?

A new phase of the Trump administration's efforts to downsize the civil service is under way, focusing on the use of generative AI to automate work tasks previously handled by federal employees. The General Services Administration (GSA) is testing a chatbot with 1,500 staff members and may expand its use to over 10,000 workers managing more than $100 billion in contracts and services, according to Wired. The GSA leadership frames the bot as a productivity enhancement tool. Thomas Shedd, director of the Technology Transformation Services (TTS) at GSA, highlighted at a recent all-hands meeting that the agency is pursuing an "AI-first strategy." He stated, "as we decrease [the] overall size of the federal government... there's still a ton of programs that need to exist, which is a huge opportunity for technology and automation to come in full force." Shedd also mentioned the potential for "coding agents" to be introduced across government, referring to AI programs capable of writing and employing code. The chatbot initiative began during President Joe Biden's term with a small GSA technology team called 10x, which initially designed it as an AI testing platform, not a productivity tool. However, allies of DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, have pushed for its expedited development and deployment amid mass federal layoffs. The program, previously known as "GSAi" and now called "GSA Chat," is designed to assist with drafting emails, writing code, and other functions. It will ultimately be available to other government agencies, potentially under the name "AI.gov." Zach Whitman, GSA's chief AI officer, described the chatbot as a means for federal employees to work "more effectively and efficiently." The interface resembles that of ChatGPT, where users submit prompts and receive responses. The system currently utilizes models licensed from Meta and Anthropic. Although document uploads are not yet permitted, plans suggest this feature may be available in the future. GSA employees foresee using the chatbot for various tasks, including large-scale project planning and analyzing federal data repositories. GSA spokesperson Will Powell confirmed the agency is reviewing its IT resources and conducting tests to verify the effectiveness and reliability of available tools. However, experts indicate that the chatbot's introduction may reflect a broader trend rather than significantly changing government operations. Reports have surfaced that DOGE advisers have leveraged AI to analyze agency spending for cuts and decide job retention across the government. In a recent TTS meeting, Shedd anticipated that the division would shrink by "at least 50 percent" soon. Moreover, potential uses of AI extend to sensitive applications, such as assessing social media posts of student-visa holders by the State Department to identify links to designated terror groups. Implementing generative AI carries established risks, including biases, factual inaccuracies, high costs, and complex inner workings. GSA recognized these issues when initializing work on the chatbot last summer, establishing the "10x AI Sandbox" to explore AI applications securely and cost-effectively. However, motivations to release the chatbot swiftly may overlook potential concerns regarding its applications. A former GSA employee noted the risks associated with relying on AI for fraud analysis, highlighting the potential for false positives. Warnings regarding issues such as "hallucination" and biased responses are included in a help page for early users, but methods of enforcement remain unspecified. Federal agencies have tested generative AI for months, with GSA previously contracting Google to assess AI's potential for enhancing productivity and collaboration. Other agencies, like the Departments of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs, were also exploring AI tools before the inauguration. Despite this, the chatbot's particular deployment may not have been inevitable in its current form. Biden's administration had pursued a cautious approach to AI, emphasizing rigorous testing and transparency through an executive order. However, the repeal of this order on Trump's first day in office marked a shift in the regulatory stance, potentially allowing federal agencies to utilize more speculative applications of AI technology.

DOGE's AI App Replacing Fired Federal Workers Proves 'About as Good as an Intern'

Business owners and employees who worry that artificial intelligence (AI) will help improve their work while possibly taking countless jobs away from humans have more reason to suspect both could be true. Another example of AI's inroads in the workplace arose after Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) eliminated 1,000 jobs at one federal agency, then presented surviving employees with a new chatbot to deal with the work their departed colleagues had done. About 1,500 employees with the government's General Services Administration (GSA) -- which manages federal property, and most procurement contracts -- were given the app to assist with various repetitive chores after a series of deep layoffs. As reported by Wired, agency staff were told they could use the combination of three chatbots to "draft emails, create talking points, summarize text, (and) write code." Providing AI assistance with that limited yet varied list of tasks is apparently DOGE's next measure after eliminating over 1,000 GSA jobs last month, with hundreds cuts more still on the way. But why would someone who just inherited email and text writing work from a few dozen former colleagues also need help with coding? Because those DOGE layoffs included virtually every member of the GSA's 18F tech hub, whose work to render government sites and apps more efficient had been highly praised inside government and without. Indeed, one of 18F's last projects before its cullings was combining Anthropic's Claude Haiku 3.5, Claude Sonnet 3.5 v2, and Meta LLaMa 3.2, into the new GSAi chatbot.

Elon Musk's DOGE Deploys GSAi AI Chatbot to Automate GSA Tasks and Cut Federal Workforce

Elon Musk's DOGE Launches GSAi AI Chatbot to Streamline GSA Operations and Reduce Workforce Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has officially deployed GSAi, an AI chatbot designed to automate routine tasks at the General Services Administration (GSA). Built to enhance operational efficiency and reduce the federal workforce, GSAi will support over 1,500 federal employees, taking over repetitive administrative duties. As Technology Transformation Services (TTS) faces ongoing layoffs, GSAi marks a significant step towards AI-driven government processes, signaling a future of automation and workforce transformation.