The US government is building its own AI chatbot with help from a former Tesla engineer
The United States government is preparing to launch its own AI chatbot and integration platform on July 4 under the name AI.gov, according to a report by 404 Media, which found a related code posted on GitHub. The initiative, which aims to 'accelerate government innovation with AI,' is being developed by the General Services Administration's Technology Transformation Services (TTS), headed by Thomas Shedd, a former Tesla engineer. The project includes a website, a chatbot, and an application programming interface (API) that will allow government agencies to tap into AI models developed by OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and eventually Amazon Web Services' Bedrock and Meta's LLaMA, according to code and early website drafts uncovered by 404 Media.advertisementAn early version of the AI.gov homepage, which currently redirects to whitehouse.gov, reportedly advertises: 'Three powerful AI tools. One integrated platform.' These include the AI assistant chatbot, a model-agnostic API, and a console to monitor how government teams are using AI. The system will also feature analytics showing usage levels across various departments.Thomas Shedd has been at the forefront of the US government's growing interest in artificial intelligence. According to leaked internal meetings and previous public remarks reported by 404 Media and Wired, Shedd wants to 'AI-ify' large parts of federal operations.
'We want to start implementing more AI at the agency level and be an example for how other agencies can start leveraging AI,' Shedd reportedly told his team. He added that tools like AI coding agents – which would write software for federal use – and contract analysis systems are among the first products in development. The broader goal, according to Shedd, is to build centralised AI solutions that federal agencies will eventually be expected to adopt.advertisementThe AI.gov platform appears to be a continuation of ideas proposed under the now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a short-lived government initiative that was led by Elon Musk.Although Musk recently distanced himself from the Trump administration following a falling out, the influence of DOGE is still evident in current federal tech projects. During its existence, DOGE aimed to reduce bureaucracy and costs by replacing some federal roles with AI-driven systems.How it will workWhile the exact functionality of the AI chatbot has not yet been detailed, the underlying API will allow agencies to access a range of AI models and services through a single platform. According to GitHub documentation, integration is being tested on cloud.gov, and the platform is still in a staging environment as of early June.The analytics console, also part of the package, will reportedly give visibility into AI usage at each agency. This could potentially help identify which teams are adopting AI effectively, and which may require additional support or training. According to the report, the early version of the platform does not appear to use generic placeholder text, suggesting development is well underway and being tailored for specific government use cases. Tune In
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Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
US lawmakers approves Musk's $9 billion budget cut; NPR, PBS, USAID and more to be affected
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Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
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Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Wikipedia stops AI-generated summary features after community says it can harm trust: ‘This would do immediate and irreversible…'
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