Elon Musk Staffer Created A DOGE AI Assistant For Making Government ‘Less Dumb’

A senior staffer at SpaceX and the White House, Christopher Stanley, has created a custom AI chatbot designed to aid the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in eliminating government waste. The chatbot, powered by Elon Musk’s AI company xAI, was publicly accessible until Tuesday but has since gone offline.

The chatbot, known as the “Department of Government Efficiency AI Assistant,” describes its mission as helping government personnel identify waste and enhance efficiency. It runs on xAI’s Grok-2, a large language model tailored to align with DOGE’s guiding principles. These principles emphasize streamlining bureaucracy, simplifying government requirements, and removing unnecessary processes.

When questioned by TechCrunch about USAID—a federal agency significantly downsized by DOGE reforms—the chatbot recommended reducing bureaucratic layers between decision-makers and aid recipients. This response aligns with DOGE’s broader approach of cutting inefficiencies within federal agencies.

The chatbot also demonstrated a tendency to reference its guiding principles across different topics. When asked which 20th-century political leaders DOGE should emulate, it suggested Margaret Thatcher and Lee Kuan Yew, praising them for their emphasis on efficiency, simplification, and technological integration.

Despite its structured responses, the chatbot exhibits common large language model flaws, including hallucinations—generating inaccurate or misleading information. For instance, when asked to provide names of DOGE employees, it initially refused but later fabricated names and job titles. Additionally, some of its recommendations, such as using drones and wearable devices to improve USAID efficiency, seemed unconventional.

The chatbot’s connection to xAI raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest. Since large language models typically generate revenue through API usage, any government deployment of this xAI-powered chatbot could indirectly benefit Musk’s company financially. Representatives from xAI were unavailable for comment, and neither Stanley nor the White House provided clarification on the chatbot’s official role.

DOGE’s broader push for AI-driven modernization suggests this chatbot may not be the last of its kind. Reports indicate that DOGE is also developing an AI assistant for the General Services Administration (GSA), the agency responsible for overseeing federal procurement. If AI continues to be integrated into government decision-making, the question of ethical AI deployment, transparency, and financial interests will remain at the forefront.