DOGE speeds up AI with GSAi chatbot launch as government job cuts loom

Elon Musk‘s DOGE is accelerating the deployment of AI tools within federal agencies while simultaneously cutting government jobs, creating tension between automation and workforce reduction. The GSAi chatbot, now available to 1,500 General Services Administration employees, allows government workers to perform various tasks using models from Anthropic and Meta. This rollout comes amid significant staff reductions at GSA, raising questions about the relationship between AI implementation and federal workforce changes.

The deployment details: DOGE has expanded the GSAi chatbot from 150 to 1,500 GSA employees after taking over and accelerating a project that was already in development.

• The chatbot uses Claude Haiku 3.5 as its default model but allows users to switch to Claude Sonnet 3.5 v2 or Meta’s Llama 3.2.
• Testing began in February, with the system designed specifically to be safe for government implementation.

Key capabilities: GSA employees were informed via internal memo that the AI tool could help draft emails, create talking points, summarize text, and write code.

• Workers were explicitly warned against entering sensitive information into the system.
• Both the Treasury and Health and Human Services Departments have reportedly considered using a GSA chatbot for certain tasks, though it’s unclear if GSAi is the specific tool under consideration.

The bigger context: The AI deployment coincides with DOGE’s broader cost-cutting initiatives across federal agencies, particularly at the GSA.

• DOGE recently shut down 18F, a technology consulting unit within the GSA.
• Hundreds of employees have been terminated across various GSA divisions, which oversees federal real estate, acquisition services, and technology.

Why it matters: The parallel tracks of AI implementation and workforce reduction highlight tensions in government modernization efforts, where technological efficiency gains appear directly connected to human job losses.