This is the summary of an article in Wired magazine. The AI-first strategy is a disaster without checks and balances. More on the danger of such a strategy to come.
Elon Musk Ally Tells Staff ‘AI-First’ Is the Future of Key Government Agency
SUMMARY:
In a meeting, Thomas Shedd, the new director of Technology Transformation Services and an ally of Elon Musk, told General Services Administration (GSA) employees that the agency is adopting an “AI-first strategy. ” Shedd wants the GSA to function like a startup software company by automating tasks and centralizing government data.
Shedd, previously a software engineer at Tesla, has moved into a role where many of Musk’s associates are also now working in high-level positions within GSA and the Office of Personnel Management. This shift has led to confusion among GSA staff, especially with unexpected one-on-one meetings and code presentations. Shedd aimed to clarify upcoming projects, focusing on increasing the use of AI across various government agencies. He highlighted plans to develop “AI coding agents” for use by all agencies and expressed his belief that many tasks, especially in finance, could be automated.
Concerns were raised about the complexities of automating government work, with a cybersecurity expert emphasizing that different challenges exist compared to other fields. Shedd described TTS as a financially unstable software startup and talked about the need for a centralized data repository, though he did not clarify its location or privacy compliance.
He linked TTS with the United States Digital Services, recently renamed as the United States DOGE Service, indicating collaboration but not a merger. Employees questioned the identities of young engineers who were not introducing themselves, and Shedd noted one was willing to share his name, although he was cautious about privacy concerns. Shedd could not address several staff inquiries regarding future workforce cuts or the return to office mandates, only hinting that cuts may be forthcoming. At the end of the meeting, when asked about working more than 40 hours a week, Shedd stated it was “unclear. ”
