"There is nothing inappropriate or nefarious going on."Nightmare ScenarioWhile making a show of feeding a government agency "into the wood chipper," billionaire Elon Musk's lackeys have secretly been feeding another's sensitive data into AI software.As The Washington Post reports, representatives at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency some of whom are literal teenagers have used the technology to investigate the Education Department's programs and spending, as part of Musk's promise to cut down federal expenditures.The exact nature of the tool is unclear, but the AI software is accessed through Microsoft's Azure cloud computing service, according to the report. Among the data being probed by the AI includes identifying information on people who manage grants, along with sensitive internal financial data.Even so, the education department's new deputy assistant secretary for communications insists that everything's being done above board.Staffers "are focused on making the Department more cost-efficient, effective, and accountable to the taxpayers," Madi Biedermann wrote in a Thursday statement, per WaPo. "There is nothing inappropriate or nefarious going on."Data DrivenBeyond questions about whether Musk, a conflict of interest incarnate, and his extremely young DOGE employees should be accessing sensitive data and vital organs of government functioning, the use of AI in this fashion signals an alarming disregard for safety.Under the previous Biden administration's AI protocols, federal agencies were instructed not to use AI until after extensive safety testing and guidelines were established, WaPo notes.Elsewhere, large organizations including banks and companies like Amazon banned employees from using large language models over fears of causing leaks. Many leading AI models, especially chatbots, can ingest the data they're given to improve their responses. A bevy of research has also highlighted the numerous security vulnerabilities present in leading AI models, which are sitting ducks for cyberattacks."Do we want these tools unleashed in government and society without guardrails?" Alondra Nelson, who worked on AI policy under the Biden administration, told WaPo. "There's a lot of concern and mistrust about the use of AI in American society."And this could just be the beginning. According to WaPo sources and other recent reports, Musk and DOGE plan to use AI to axe programs across the government, including DEI initiatives.An anonymous education department employee said that DOGE staffers are work at dizzying speeds as they arrogate as much information as possible, already accessing personal data on millions of people who receive federal student loans,per the report."They have a playbook, which is to get access to the data," the staffer toldWaPo. "And once they're in, it's already over."Share This Article