An AI tool developed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) identified over 2,000 contracts at the Department of Veterans Affairs as non-essential. The tool, created by a software engineer with no prior experience in healthcare or government, used outdated AI models. It miscalculated contract values, labeling more than a thousand contracts at $34 million each, when some were actually worth as little as $35,000. The VA has canceled nearly 600 contracts in total. At least 24 contracts flagged by the DOGE AI have been terminated, including those for gene sequencing, blood sample analysis, and tools to improve nursing care. Experts reviewing the AI code and flagged contracts unanimously criticized the tool’s accuracy and the approach of using AI for budgetary decisions at the VA.
ProPublica
@propublica
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9h New: We obtained records showing how a Department of Government Efficiency staffer with no medical experience used artificial intelligence to identify which VA contracts to kill. “AI is absolutely the wrong tool for this,” one expert said.
Brandon Roberts
@bxroberts
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4h 8/ The VA is also standing behind its use of AI to identify “munchable” contracts, calling it “a commonsense precedent.”
Documents released to ProPublica indicate they may even be looking at using it for other VA operations, such as processing disability claims.
BrownManATL
@BrownManATL
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51m DOGE Developed Error-Prone AI Tool To ‘Munch’ Veterans Affairs Contracts https://indigoroar.com/doge-developed-error-prone-ai-tool-to-munch-veterans-affairs-contracts/…
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