The march of artificial intelligence into government continues. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is accelerating its campaign to replace federal workers with bots. While reports of wasteful spending triggered outrage, they, apparently, have largely been political theater. Republicans en masse, despite their rhetoric, have shown little appetite for cutting government spending — especially military spending. In light of this, some principled constitutionalists have warned that Republican spending is turning DOGE into nothing but “smoke and mirrors” — an illusion of efficiency that conceals business as usual.
Yet, as mass layoffs unfold and AI-driven replacements take hold, DOGE’s true mission — “modernizing Federal technology and software” — becomes clearer.
The Bureaucrat-ending Chatbot
One of DOGE’s most controversial projects is GSAi, a proprietary chatbot meant to replace bureaucratic tasks. As The New American reported, it is an integral part of the administration’s “AI-first” strategy, embedding artificial intelligence into every federal agency.
According to the latest report from Wired, DOGE has already deployed GSAi to 1,500 federal workers at the General Services Administration (GSA) and plans to expand its use further.
GSAi functions much like ChatGPT or Claude, but is customized for government use. An internal memo obtained by Wired states:
The options are endless, and [GSAi] will continue to improve as new information is added. You can: draft emails, create talking points, summarize text, write code.
Yet the same memo warns employees not to input nonpublic or personally identifiable information, raising concerns about security and oversight.
Despite its rapid rollout, skepticism remains. One GSA employee questioned its usefulness: “It’s about as good as an intern … generic and guessable answers.”
Still, DOGE leadership is moving full steam ahead. In February, it ran a pilot with 150 employees, then quickly scaled up. Now, the Treasury Department and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are “considering” its use. That includes “outward-facing contact centers.”
An AI expert speaking with the outlet questioned the bigger picture: “What is the larger strategy here? Give everyone AI, then use that to justify more layoffs?”
Mass Layoffs and the Illusion of Efficiency
Since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, DOGE has been aggressively shrinking the federal workforce. As of late February, more than 30,000 federal employees have already been terminated.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has driven this push, advising agencies to terminate most of an estimated 200,000 probationary employees — those hired within the last year. The result? A reckless, broad-brush approach to “efficiency” that has thrown government functions into disarray.
DOGE moved fast. But the fallout came just as quickly. Agencies have already been forced to recall employees they hastily fired.
At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 180 employees were asked to return just weeks after being let go. Meanwhile, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) scrambled to rehire personnel responsible for overseeing America’s nuclear stockpile. Because, as it turns out, ensuring the safety of nuclear weapons isn’t something you can just outsource to a chatbot.
One may argue that these abrupt recalls served as illustrations of DOGE’s apparent intent — demolishing the old system with ruthless speed, and hastily erecting an AI-driven bureaucracy. At the same time, a deafening flood of headlines and soundbites bombards the public nonstop, burying them under so much noise that critical analysis becomes nearly impossible. The result? Confusion replaces scrutiny, and private takeover of government is mistaken for progress.
Regulatory Oversight, or Musk’s Backdoor?
On top of that, as a glaring illustration of DOGE’s seemingly sporadic actions, consider what happened at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In February, the FDA fired 20 employees from its Office of Neurological and Physical Medicine Devices — including several tasked with reviewing Neuralink, Musk’s brain-implant company.
After backlash, the FDA attempted to rehire some of them, though it remains unclear how many returned.
This raises the obvious question: Was this episode about “efficiency”? Or was Musk quietly eliminating regulatory hurdles for his own company — one he, as a “special government employee” and an “advisor,” conveniently doesn’t have to divest from?
AI at the Pentagon
The automation of government has already reached the military. AI is now driving policy enforcement and job cuts at the Department of Defense (DOD).
Last week, the U.S. Army introduced CamoGPT, an AI tool that removes references to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) from training materials. This follows Trump’s January 27 executive order directing the department to remove policies seen as promoting divisive theories on race and gender.
Developed by the Army’s AI Integration Center, CamoGPT doesn’t just flag content — it rewrites and erases language to align training materials with the directive. This marks the first instance of AI actively reshaping ideological instruction in the U.S. military.
But AI isn’t just rewriting policy — it’s deciding who stays and who goes.
The AI Pink-slip Machine
DOGE is also upgrading AutoRIF (Automated Reduction in Force), an HR tool designed to identify “redundant” positions and issue termination notices across the DOD.
The Pentagon originally built AutoRIF and has used it for decades to streamline workforce reductions. But Wired reports that DOGE operatives are modifying its code, likely to accelerate firings.
The automation of firings won’t stop at the DOD. The Administration has ordered all agencies to submit RIF Plans, signaling that automated mass layoffs could soon expand government-wide.
These developments prove AI is no longer just “assisting” in governance—it is enforcing it.
“Efficiency” or Technocracy?
The public remains captivated by narratives of “waste reduction” and a heroic fight against the Deep State. They tell us this is an anti-establishment revolution, a battle waged by disruptors against the entrenched administrative state.
Yet, beneath the surface, something far more consequential is unfolding. No serious legislative effort exists to shrink government spending. At the same time, Musk’s companies remain large government contractors, making him a beneficiary of the very system he claims to be dismantling. Meanwhile, surveillance-driven companies such as Palantir Technologies are reportedly embedded in the process, with the strong potential to expand its reach.
By all indications, this isn’t a war against the Deep State — it’s its next iteration, built for the age of automation.
It is crucial to stress that as much as 80 percent of the federal government operates outside constitutional bounds. Reducing bloat is necessary. Reshaping and decentralizing an unconstitutional behemoth is long overdue.
But before cheering the brutal chainsawing, it’s worth asking: What exactly is being built in its place?
Related:
Trump Gives DOGE Expanded Oversight of Federal Contracts
Musk’s “Advisory” Role in “Optimizing” Government
Reprogramming the Republic: Musk’s Quiet AI Takeover of Federal Power
AI and the Federal Purse: Musk’s Reforms of Treasury Oversight
DOGE at the Pentagon: The Business of More “Efficient” Wars
Trump Unveils $500 Billion “Stargate” AI Project, in Line With WEF Agenda
