Elon Musk believes artificial intelligence should replace many federal government workers. He called the U.S. government “a bloated mess” during a private talk in Beverly Hills. Musk made these remarks while speaking with Michael Milken at the Milken Institute Global Conference.
Musk argued that AI could do government jobs faster and better. He said it would also save taxpayer money. This statement came while he discussed his recent role at DOGE — the Department of Government Efficiency.
“AI Can Govern Better” — Elon’s Plan to Cut the Fat
Musk volunteered for the DOGE role, working over 100 days inside the White House. He even created a small office in the West Wing. “It has a window, but it faces an HVAC unit,” he said jokingly.
Musk admitted to sleeping in the Lincoln Bedroom several times. He also claimed to eat White House ice cream and play video games there. He added that he never planned to stay overnight but was often invited by Trump.
As head of DOGE, Musk claimed his team saved $160 billion in federal spending. However, no official documents confirm that number. He also said they stopped fake loan applications under children’s names.
“AI can govern better,” Musk told reporters. He repeated that line while explaining DOGE’s goals. His mission led to massive budget cuts and employee terminations.
DOGE Sparks Lawsuits, Protests, and Global Consequences
Musk’s program cut deep into many federal agencies. Thousands of workers either quit or got fired. Some entire departments were nearly shut down.
Critics argue these cuts damaged public services. The U.S. now struggles with disaster response and global influence. China has filled some of that gap abroad.
Former federal employees are suing the government. They claim the firings were rushed and possibly illegal. In response, protesters have attacked Tesla stores in several states.
Despite the backlash, Trump defended Musk. He called the attacks on Elon “unacceptable” and invited him to stay in government.
Still, Musk plans to reduce his role at DOGE. He’ll now work only one or two days each week. “I just want to say thank you,” Musk said in what sounded like a goodbye.
Pressure Builds at Tesla as Musk Balances Roles
Outside Washington, Musk still leads Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink. But Tesla is struggling. Sales are down, and investors are frustrated.
Musk promised more focus on Tesla starting in May. He addressed this during the company’s latest earnings call. Meanwhile, rumors about finding a new CEO spread quickly. Tesla’s chair denied them, calling the report “absolutely false.”
Interestingly, DOGE has now spread to Congress. Lawmakers in both chambers have created their own DOGE caucuses. A name born from a meme has entered official politics.
“AI can govern better,” Musk repeated once more. Then he laughed and asked, “Are we living in a simulation or what?”
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