DOGE Recruits College Student to Use AI for Rewriting Government Regulations

DOGE Recruits Inexperienced College Student for AI-Driven Deregulation

In a controversial move, Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has recruited Christopher Sweet, a third-year undergraduate student from the University of Chicago, to lead an artificial intelligence (AI) project aimed at rewriting regulations at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 1

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. This appointment has raised eyebrows due to Sweet's lack of government experience and his unfinished degree in economics and data science.

AI-Powered Regulatory Review

Sweet's primary role involves using AI to review HUD's regulations, compare them to existing laws, and identify areas where rules can be relaxed or removed 1

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. The project has already produced an Excel spreadsheet with approximately 1,000 rows of policy areas where the AI tool has flagged potential "overreach" and suggested replacement language 1

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. HUD staff, particularly from the Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH), are being asked to review these AI-generated recommendations 1

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Scope and Implications

Sources within HUD claim that Sweet is leading the AI deregulation project for the entire Trump administration, with plans to expand this approach across the government 1

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. The AI model being used is reportedly being refined through the work at HUD and will eventually crawl through the Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR) 1

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. This large-scale deregulation effort aligns with the Project 2025 policy document, which serves as a playbook for the current administration 1

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Concerns and Criticisms

The appointment of an inexperienced college student to such a crucial role has sparked concerns among government employees and experts. Critics argue that deploying AI agents to perform the work of tens of thousands of federal employees would be challenging, if not impossible, due to the complexity and variability of agency procedures 3

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. Additionally, some HUD sources question the redundancy of this effort, given that existing regulations have already undergone extensive review processes 1

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Broader DOGE Initiatives

Sweet's appointment is part of a larger trend within DOGE, which has been pushing for the use of AI across various government agencies 3

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. Other DOGE-related projects include using AI to write code for the Department of Veterans Affairs website, deploying chatbots at the General Services Administration, and automating the process of firing government employees 3

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Potential Impact and Controversy

The DOGE initiative, including Sweet's project, has faced criticism for potentially undermining crucial government functions and threatening the jobs of federal employees. While DOGE claims to be improving government efficiency, critics argue that it may be more focused on dismantling agencies rather than optimizing them 4

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. The initiative's approach has also raised questions about the reliability and appropriateness of using AI for complex regulatory decisions 3

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As this AI-driven deregulation effort continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how it will impact federal regulations, government operations, and the millions of Americans who rely on these agencies and their services.