It’s hard not to marvel at the speed with which Elon Musk has plunged headfirst into reshaping the federal government with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). It's been lightning-fast.
Within weeks of its creation, DOGE has uncovered layers of corruption, waste, and inefficiency — issues that have lingered in the bureaucracy for decades are now being identified and dissected with startling precision. The question is, how did they do it so quickly?
The answer lies in DOGE’s central power player: artificial intelligence.
“Representatives from Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service have fed sensitive data from across the Education Department into artificial intelligence software to probe the agency’s programs and spending, according to two people with knowledge of the DOGE team’s actions,” reports the Washington Post. “The AI probe includes data with personally identifiable information for people who manage grants, as well as sensitive internal financial data, the two people said. They described DOGE activities at the Education Department on the condition of anonymity due to fear of retaliation.”
The DOGE team is using AI software accessed through Microsoft’s cloud computing service Azure to pore through every dollar of money the department disburses, from contracts to grants to work trip expenses, one of the people said. Lower level department staffers were directed by agency leadership to let Musk’s teams access the sensitive financial data, the person said.
The use of AI inside the Department of Education, which has not previously been reported, shows how Musk’s group, which includes former employees from his tech empire, is tapping the favorite tool of Silicon Valley as part of its mission to drastically slash the size and functions of the federal government.
At the Department of Education, the DOGE’s team aims to radically reduce spending and ultimately shrink the department and its staff, the people said — helping further the Trump administration’s push to get rid of it entirely.
What do you know? AI is actually good for something. I thought we were supposed to believe it was bad news. But hey, if AI is flagging millions of taxpayer dollars wasted on DEI and transgender initiatives worldwide, then I can’t see the problem.
Related: Are Republicans Souring on Musk?
You’ve certainly noticed that the impact of DOGE’s rapid progress has sent the radical left into a major hissy fit. Congressional Democrats and agency heads, unprepared for the sheer scope of the operation, now find themselves racing to respond, whether it be attacks on Musk, lawsuits, or the usual screaming up at the sky. Heck, Congressional Democrats even attempted an insurrection over at USAID HQ.
Yet, for all the controversy, DOGE has its admirers. To those of us who don’t like our tax dollars being used as a slush fund for leftist causes, this is exactly what needed to happen. The bureaucracy had too long dominated Washington, spawning inefficiencies, facilitating waste, and, at worst, engendering corruption. The transparency with which DOGE operates — broadcasting its intent to “drain the swamp” by trimming bloated, ineffective agencies — is long overdue.
At its core, this is Musk doing what Musk does best. This is the same guy who’s making space travel cheaper. Do I trust him to make government more efficient? Hell yeah, I do.
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