Will Musk’s use of AI to target government spending cuts become a Westworld moment . . . ?

Photo above - Elon Musk explaining his plan to use AI to make government more efficient . . .

This could be the “make or break” moment for AI. Using a few lines of cleverly written code to ferret out everything that's wrong, both in private sector and government workplaces. It doesn't matter whether those SNAFUS are accidental on purpose. Musk could either be a hero, or end up souring the nation on AI, for years to come. (see link at bottom)

A true story: I have a friend who works the mortgage department of a “too big to fail” bank". She uses ChatGPT (increasingly) to handle her workload. To complete federal, state and internal bank forms. To compose written communication with customers. To write her emails, and report to her boss on the status of pending mortgages.

My friend fails to see the threat to her job.

She is indifferent about the potential that someone else (at a much lower salary) could do the work of 5 mortgage bankers through ChatGPT. Or with a competing AI system: Gemini, DeepSeek, or Rehoboam (from WestWorld). Although there could be pushback by some people against using a system named after the King of Judea. In any case, the mortgage process will be vastly simplified.

“Gemini . . . I’d like to apply for a $350,000 30-year fixed rate loan on the condo for sale at 742 Evergreen terrace . . .”

(AI assistant*). “Working. Gathering 5 years of tax forms, proof of citizenship, work and school attendance records. Negotiating with bank. Good news, your loan has been approved. Your rate is 7.5%. Closing will take place tomorrow at 10am. Would you like me to order a croissant and cappuccino for you to pick up on the way?”*

Musk’s use of AI will be startlingly similar. “Give me a list of all GS 10 or lower federal workers who have absences without a doctor's note. Tardiness. Refused to return to the office. Unpaid taxes, child support, or alimony. Pending charges for anything other than a traffic violation. Who is in the bottom 25% of quarterly performance reviews. Now rank these from worst to best, according to enterprise value metrics.”

(ChatGPT) “Working. I found 358,732 workers who meet these parameters. Would you like me to print this for you?”

(Musk) “No . . . don’t bother with all that. Just send them buyout emails.”

It's funny because it’s true.

Of course there will be lawsuits. Court challenges, perhaps filed with the assistance of AI. The natural response will be to employ an AI judicial system to dismiss all filings which use an incorrect form, are in the wrong jurisdiction, or fail to cite relevant statutes or case law as precedent.

“Sorry. Your civil suit was dismissed. Would you like me to order a croissant and cappuccino for you from the courthouse coffee shop on your way out?”

It won’t stop with mortgages and quarterly personnel performance assessments, though. AI could quickly examine the nation’s worst preforming school systems and fire those administrators. Then provide all classrooms with updated curriculums. Teachers who resist could be replaced with online instruction.

But here’s what will be my favorite use of AI: to prevent Covid 19 from ever happening again.

I don’t mean stopping the next virus escape from a Chinese military lab, or which spontaneously appears in chickens, cows or pigs, or cave bats. AI cannot prevent genetic mutation. I mean the administration of Covid relief/stimulus funds. Imagine how much better things would have been if we hadn’t been conned out of $400 billion in grants by fraudsters, rappers and influencers. People who used that money to buy Lamborghini’s and Vail ski condos. (see 2nd link at bottom). Possibly with the collusion of government grants administrators . . .

I’m just sayin’ . . .

Elon Musk’s DOGE is feeding sensitive federal data into AI to target cuts

Orange County man who bought luxury cars with COVID relief funds sentenced to prison - Los Angeles Times

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SatanBurger · 36-40, F

I like AI, the problem is that the system we have set up isn't going to work with a technologically advanced society. There has to be creation of new jobs, scrapping old ones and working to close gaps in poverty. Universal basic income to help shoulder food and minor expenses.

In other words if our system is set up with a dog eat dog kind of thing it's not going to work. You can't just create a technological advanced society and have a system that was set up in the stone ages.

What's happening now is that we are trying to be more advanced with having an archaic system in place, it's not going to work especially by tech bros

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@SatanBurger so you're advocating a centrally planned economy? like the kings of europe used to try and pull off? or the USSR?

the only place that's being attempted right now is Communist China.

and to make it work all they had to do was lock up 1 million Uyghur muslims in forced labor camps, and conscript the worlds largest army to constrain their citizens.

SatanBurger · 36-40, F

@SusanInFlorida Nope. There's lots of different ideas out there. The whole point of technology is to grow society but you can't have technology and a 90s economy is not going to work. I loved the 90s don't get me wrong but you're not going to have tech if you're still dial up.

I mean many countries have high speed rails, longer life expectancies, free child and heath care. And the us actually is the lowest among all devloped worlds.

I am not advocating for anything but surely you can agree that having "some" dial up internet stone age policies is simply incompatibile with a technological society.

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@SatanBurger we've used "technology" to boost the world's population from 5 billion in 1990 to 8+billion today. And most people still live in poverty. They are malnourished, oppressed, and work for starvation wages.

only western europe, canada, the USA, and Australia can boast about having demonstrably improved living standards.

ask the people of Iran, Russia, Africa, etc.

SatanBurger · 36-40, F

@SusanInFlorida They live in poverty because of poor policies mostly in favor of the rich. Change the policies and technology wouldn't be an issue. We would have mass poverty anyways. Capitalism takes from developing nations and requires workers who live paycheck to paycheck.

Furthermore, i have no issues with tribal life and there's some benefits but there's some drawbacks too. Like tribal slavery between tribes, gentile mutilation, bias and forced marriages. There's some good things about tribes though, like the natural human tendency to naturally learn requires play unlike our work culture and they are generally less sick, more fit.

The bottom line is the policies are what is driving it. People have biases against poor people and don't want to change, they also vote against their own interests. You can't have that for a technological society to flourish.

SatanBurger · 36-40, F

@SusanInFlorida I would like to mention the political divide too. You can't have change if people aren't united. If a person's priorities are anti lgbt, caring about getting black authors banned in schools and say leftist this or that, you actually can't have poliicies that help others so long as that's what people care about.

Tech is a tool to make things better, but it won't get better if people's priorities are shallow.

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@SatanBurger we don't need everyone to agree. We simply need a clear majority who are paying attention, and rational.

that's increasingly difficult in an era where cable TV news deliberately promotes disinfo as ridiculous as what can be found on the internet by trolls and foreign disinfo campaigns.

SatanBurger · 36-40, F

@SusanInFlorida It's not a media issue because people been like that since time began. The witch hunts, superstitious stuff, rumors. People's lives were ended simply on a rumor. People always been like that. Even during this time, you can easily fact check things and the one thing I know is true is that if a person really wants to believe something is true, they will believe it regardless.

To me, the answer lays in what makes people want to believe something that is false even when told it is false. Because otherwise this thing will just keep happening over and over again and we're all wasting our time.

Is it a neurological issue? Is it an environment issue? Is the ability to think critically a type of intelligence that if you simply don't have those "neurons" you either have it or don't type of thing?

I mean those are the real questions.