Federal employees are raising alarms over a new Trump administration project—AI.gov—which aims to infuse artificial intelligence into government operations using tools from OpenAI, Meta, Amazon, and other tech giants. According to 404 Media, the initiative includes a draft website and developer API posted to GitHub, with a stated mission to “accelerate government innovation with AI.”
Though Elon Musk is no longer involved in the administration and is currently engaged in a public feud with President Trump, the blueprint behind AI.gov shows that many ideas from Musk’s defunct Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are still influencing federal tech policy.
What Is AI.gov?
The project appears to be helmed by the General Services Administration’s Technology Transformation Services, led by Thomas Shedd, a former Tesla engineer closely linked to Musk and DOGE. According to The New York Times, Shedd has long advocated for AI’s use in government—specifically to detect fraud, review federal contracts, and even write software via so-called “AI coding agents.”
The leaked version of the site reveals three core tools under the AI.gov umbrella:
- An AI-powered chatbot for federal use.
- An API that connects to models from OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.
- A centralized dashboard to monitor how AI is deployed across agencies.
The site’s slogan? “Powered by the best in American AI.”
Launch Planned for July 4—But Redirects to White House
The draft version of AI.gov was reportedly set to go live on Independence Day, though it currently redirects to the main White House page. According to 404 Media, the backend code referenced integrations with Meta’s LLaMA, Amazon Bedrock, and other vendors. However, not all these models have received official FedRAMP certification for government use, raising additional concerns.
Worker Backlash and Security Worries
Inside the federal workforce, reaction to the initiative has been “pretty unanimously negative,” sources told 404 Media. Employees fear that the AI rollout could:
- Compromise sensitive systems due to software bugs.
- Trigger AI-generated recommendations to cancel or restructure key federal contracts.
- Pose security risks due to model access or flawed automation.
Others are worried about job automation and what it might mean for human oversight in critical government functions.
Musk’s Shadow Still Looms
Despite the very public breakdown between Trump and Musk—who has blasted the administration and called DOGE a “monster”—Musk’s influence continues to shape the federal AI agenda. Thomas Shedd, seen by many as a Musk loyalist, has publicly urged the GSA to “operate like a startup” and has advocated for agency-wide adoption of private-sector AI tools.
For now, the final version of AI.gov remains offline, but the broader debate is far from over—especially as federal employees, watchdogs, and lawmakers begin questioning whether the government’s AI push is driven by innovation—or ideology.
