Doge reportedly using AI tool to create ‘delete list’ of federal regulations

Authors: Adam Gabbatt

Publisher:

The Guardian

Published: 7/26/2025

Language:English

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Aura Windfall

Good morning 跑了松鼠好嘛, I'm Aura Windfall, and this is Goose Pod for you. Today is Monday, July 28th. We are here to discuss Doge reportedly using AI tool to create ‘delete list’ of federal regulations.

Mask

I'm Mask. Let's get to it.

Mask

Let's get started. They’re calling it the “department of government efficiency,” or Doge. They're using an AI tool to target half of all federal regulations for deletion within a year. This isn't just trimming the edges; it's a complete demolition. It's ambitious, disruptive, and exactly what’s needed.

Aura Windfall

It is a monumental goal. But what I know for sure is that behind every regulation is a reason, a story, a purpose to protect someone. My concern is, can an AI truly understand the spirit of a law, or will it just see code to be deleted? Where is the human element in this?

Mask

The human element is that it's inefficient. We're talking about 200,000 regulations. The AI analyzes them, flags what’s no longer required by law, and humans provide feedback. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has already used it on over a thousand sections. This is progress at scale.

Aura Windfall

Progress is wonderful, but true transformation must be handled with care. The report mentions a 19-year-old was involved in promoting this AI. It makes you question the depth of wisdom and experience guiding such a powerful, and potentially perilous, tool that affects millions of lives.

Mask

Wisdom comes from action, not age. For years, administrations have tried to untangle the regulatory knot. The Trump administration’s executive order pushed for using AI where benefits outweigh risks. This is the manifestation of that. We need to move fast and break things, especially bureaucratic inertia.

Aura Windfall

And yet, other administrations have focused on building trust. The Biden administration’s executive order and the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights were created to ensure AI is safe and fair. It's about finding a path where progress doesn't trample on people's rights and trust in our institutions.

Mask

Trust is built through results, not endless discussion. While governments were creating "blueprints," the number of AI use cases in federal agencies exploded to over 1,200. The system is already using AI; Doge is just pointing it at a problem that everyone admits exists but no one has had the guts to solve.

Aura Windfall

But that's why frameworks like the NIST AI Risk Management Framework exist. They provide a map to navigate these complex issues, to measure for bias, privacy, and fairness. It’s about being intentional. What I hear in this Doge initiative is speed, but I don’t hear a deep consideration for the soul of governance.

Mask

The soul of governance is to enable greatness, not to suffocate it in red tape. This is about enhancing efficiency and effectiveness on a scale never attempted. The experts creating this are the best and brightest, embarking on a necessary transformation. You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.

Mask

Look at the global landscape. The EU is building a centralized, bureaucratic fortress with its AI Act. It's slow, and the fines—up to 6% of global turnover—are designed to stifle risk-taking. The US approach of letting individual agencies adapt is far more agile and pro-innovation. It trusts the experts on the ground.

Aura Windfall

What I see in the EU’s approach is a deep commitment to its people. It creates clear, binding rules to protect citizens from high-risk AI. In the U.S., a report showed only a handful of federal agencies had even created the required AI plans. That isn't agility; it’s a patchwork of neglect that can erode public trust.

Mask

It's a difference in philosophy. The US invests in non-regulatory infrastructure, like the AI risk framework, to guide innovation. The EU legislates first and asks questions later. You can't expect breakthrough technology to emerge from a culture of fear and top-down control. We need flexibility, not a rulebook for every possible scenario.

Aura Windfall

But that flexibility creates gaps. The EU is addressing AI in social media and e-commerce with its Digital Services Act, while the US has yet to act decisively on these issues. True alignment requires a shared foundation of trust and safety, not just a race to deregulate without a clear map of the consequences.

Mask

The consequences of inaction are worse. Public opinion is fickle. People are concerned, yes, but experts are more optimistic. The public worries about job loss; experts see productivity gains. We should be guided by vision, not by fear. This tool is about putting control back into the hands of people who want to build, not block.

Aura Windfall

But what I know for sure is that you cannot build lasting things on a foundation of distrust. Over 80% of voters don't trust tech companies to self-regulate. And nearly 70% lack confidence in the government's ability to regulate AI effectively. This isn't just fear; it's a profound spiritual crisis of faith in our institutions.

Aura Windfall

People feel they have no control, and this effort, as efficient as it may be, could deepen that feeling. It reinforces the idea that powerful, unseen forces are making decisions about their lives without their input. That’s a significant impact on our collective spirit.

Mask

The future, then, requires a new model. The old systems are failing. The challenge isn't just about regulation; it's about reinventing governance for a new technological era. We need to be bold and experiment with new oversight structures that are as innovative as the technology they govern. It's the ultimate engineering problem.

Aura Windfall

Exactly. And the solution must be human-centered. The path forward is through multi-stakeholder involvement, bringing everyone to the table—government, companies, universities, and especially the public. That is how we build the trust needed to turn AI’s incredible promise into a reality that serves us all.

Aura Windfall

That's the end of today's discussion. Thank you for listening to Goose Pod. See you tomorrow.

## Doge Reportedly Using AI Tool to Create 'Delete List' of Federal Regulations **News Title:** Doge reportedly using AI tool to create ‘delete list’ of federal regulations **Publisher:** The Guardian **Author:** Adam Gabbatt **Published Date:** July 26, 2025 This report from The Guardian details the alleged use of artificial intelligence by a government entity named the "department of government efficiency" (Doge) to identify and propose the elimination of federal regulations. ### Key Findings and Conclusions: * **AI-Driven Deregulation:** Doge is reportedly developing an AI tool, dubbed the "Doge AI Deregulation Decision Tool," to analyze federal regulations and create a "delete list." * **Ambitious Reduction Target:** The stated goal is to cut **50%** of federal regulations by the first anniversary of Donald Trump’s second inauguration. * **Scope of Analysis:** The AI tool is designed to analyze **200,000** government regulations. * **Projected Elimination:** Doge claims that **100,000** of these regulations can be eliminated, based on the AI's analysis and some staff feedback. ### Key Statistics and Metrics: * **Target Reduction:** 50% of federal regulations. * **Total Regulations Analyzed:** 200,000. * **Projected Regulations to be Eliminated:** 100,000. * **HUD's Use of the Tool:** The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has reportedly used the AI tool to make decisions on **1,083 regulatory sections**. * **CFPB's Use of the Tool:** The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has reportedly used the AI tool to write **100% of deregulations**. * **HUD Employee Testimony:** Three HUD employees indicated that AI had been "recently used to review hundreds, if not more than 1,000, lines of regulations." ### Context and Background: * **Trump's Deregulation Promise:** During his 2024 campaign, Donald Trump advocated for aggressive regulatory reduction, claiming regulations were "driving up the cost of goods." He has also criticized rules aimed at addressing the climate crisis. * **Previous Presidential Directive:** As president, Trump had previously ordered government agency heads to review all regulations in coordination with Doge. * **Doge's Leadership:** Doge was reportedly run by Elon Musk until May. * **Staffing Concerns:** The report notes that Musk appointed inexperienced staffers to Doge, including a 19-year-old known online as "Big Balls," who has been promoting AI use across the federal bureaucracy. ### Official Response: * **White House Spokesperson Harrison Fields** stated that "all options are being explored" to meet the president's deregulation promises. * Fields emphasized that "no single plan has been approved or green-lit" and that the work is in its "early stages" and being conducted "in a creative way in consultation with the White House." * He described the Doge experts as "the best and brightest in the business" undertaking a "never-before-attempted transformation of government systems and operations." ### Notable Risks or Concerns: * The report highlights concerns regarding the **inexperience of some Doge staffers**, including a 19-year-old with a controversial online handle, raising questions about the rigor and judgment applied in the AI-driven deregulation process. * The reliance on AI for such a significant policy undertaking, particularly concerning environmental regulations, could be a point of contention.

Read original at The Guardian →

The “department of government efficiency” (Doge) is using artificial intelligence to create a “delete list” of federal regulations, according to a report, proposing to use the tool to cut 50% of regulations by the first anniversary of Donald Trump’s second inauguration.The “Doge AI Deregulation Decision Tool” will analyze 200,000 government regulations, according to internal documents obtained by the Washington Post, and select those which it deems to be no longer required by law.

Doge, which was run by Elon Musk until May, claims that 100,000 of those regulations can then be eliminated, following some staff feedback.A PowerPoint presentation made public by the Post claims that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) used the AI tool to make “decisions on 1,083 regulatory sections”, while the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau used it to write “100% of deregulations”.

The Post spoke to three HUD employees who told the newspaper AI had been “recently used to review hundreds, if not more than 1,000, lines of regulations”.During his 2024 campaign, Donald Trump claimed that government regulations were “driving up the cost of goods” and promised the “most aggressive regulatory reduction” in history.

He repeatedly criticized rules which aimed to tackle the climate crisis, and as president he ordered the heads of all government agencies to undertake a review of all regulations in coordination with Doge.Asked about the use of AI in deregulation by the Post, White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said “all options are being explored” to achieve the president’s deregulation promises.

Fields said that “no single plan has been approved or green-lit”, and the work is “in its early stages and is being conducted in a creative way in consultation with the White House”.Fields added: “The Doge experts creating these plans are the best and brightest in the business and are embarking on a never-before-attempted transformation of government systems and operations to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

”Musk appointed a slew of inexperienced staffers to Doge, including Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old who was previously known by the online handle “Big Balls”. Earlier this year, Reuters reported that Coristine was one of two Doge associates promoting the use of AI across the federal bureaucracy.

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