Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is reportedly planning to expand its use of the Grok AI chatbot within the federal government, despite concerns about potential conflicts of interest and privacy risks. According to Reuters, the chatbot will be used to analyze data, which could potentially put sensitive information about millions of Americans at risk.
Privacy advocates are increasingly concerned that DOGE is compromising established protections. The department is using a customized version of Grok AI, designed to process data more efficiently. “They ask questions, get it to prepare reports, give data analysis,” a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. Two others confirmed that DOGE staff have instructed the Department of Homeland Security to use the chatbot, despite it not being approved for department use.
Concerns Over Data Privacy and Security
A DHS spokesperson denied that DOGE had pressured DHS officials to use Grok, stating, “DOGE hasn’t pushed any employees to use any particular tools or products.” However, experts warn that using Grok AI could cross the legal threshold of security and privacy legislation if sensitive or confidential data is involved. Five technology and government experts told Reuters that this could make data available to Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, regarding federal contracts at agencies where he conducts business privately.
Potential Conflict of Interest
The experts noted that Musk could gain an unfair advantage over other AI service providers. In its drive to eliminate fraud and waste, Musk and DOGE have accessed secure federal databases containing personal information of millions of Americans. According to the experts, such information is usually restricted to a small number of officials due to the risk of it being sold, lost, leaked, or violating people’s privacy.
The executive director of the privacy nonprofit Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, Albert Fox Cahn, expressed serious concerns about the privacy implications. “Given the scale of data that DOGE has amassed and given the numerous concerns of porting that data into software like Grok, this to me is about as serious a privacy threat as you get,” he told Reuters.
Background on AI Use in Government
During the Biden administration, new policies allowed federal workers to use certain AI platforms for non-sensitive information. However, DHS officials recently shut down the use of all commercial AI tools after workers were found to be using them with sensitive information.
Legal Implications
If Musk was involved in decisions to use Grok, it may violate conflict-of-interest laws that prohibit officials from participating in issues that could financially benefit them, according to former George W. Bush ethics counsel Richard Painter. “This gives the appearance that DOGE is pressuring agencies to use software to enrich Musk and xAI, and not to the benefit of the American people,” he said.
