Unprecedented Hubris -- Digby

[erronis]

https://digbysblog.net/2025/07/26/unprecedented-hubris/

I don’t think people have yet absorbed the degree to which the tech-bro influence on the MAGA movement is dictating some very radical policies. The giddiness around the AI revolution is fueling a lot of the chaotic cutting that’s going on, pleasing both the old school government haters like Russ Vought who want to blow the whole thing up and the starry-eyed geeks like Musk who think the world is a science fiction movie.

Here it is being put into practice (WaPo):

The U.S. DOGE Service is using a new artificial intelligence tool to slash federal regulations, with the goal of eliminating half of Washington’s regulatory mandates by the first anniversary of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post and four government officials familiar with the plans.

The tool, called the “DOGE AI Deregulation Decision Tool,” is supposed to analyze roughly 200,000 federal regulations to determine which can be eliminated because they are no longer required by law, according to a PowerPoint presentation obtained by The Post that is dated July 1 and outlines DOGE’s plans. Roughly 100,000 of those rules would be deemed worthy of trimming, the PowerPoint estimates — mostly through the automated tool with some staff feedback. The PowerPoint also suggests the AI toolwill save the United States trillions of dollars by reducing compliance requirements, slashing the federal budget and unlocking unspecified “external investment.”

The tool has already been used to complete “decisions on 1,083 regulatory sections” at the Department of Housing and Urban Development in under two weeks, according to the PowerPoint, and to write “100% of deregulations” at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Three HUD employees — as well as documents obtained by The Post — confirmed that an AI tool was recently used to review hundreds, if not more than 1,000, lines of regulations at that agency and suggest edits or deletions.

This is being done under the auspices of the silicon valley ethos of “move fast and break things” as if the U.S government is no more complex than a Twitter or a car company. They have no idea what they are doing.

The hubris is overwhelming.

[pfitz59]

1. People will die

because many rules were written in blood. Start with OSHA...

[enough]

2. If they can actually do it, maybe it's not hubris.

[erronis]

3. Hubris is defined as being arrogant, insolent, etc. It does not imply success. But I understand your point.

If they do succeed, and get to define the new state of affairs - rewriting history, then it can just be called the natural progression - the winning process. And instead of them being too prideful, it is the rest of us who were the failures.

(I should not try writing stuff like this late in the evening - for me....)