By Greg Godbout
Across the U.S. federal government, a quiet emergency is unfolding. Budget cuts, re-orgs, and stalled hiring freezes are leaving agencies in a state of paralysis—right when the public needs them most. Mission delivery is slowing, and in some cases, stopping altogether.
As reported in Fast Company, experts warned we are not prepared for the next disaster due to poor modernization and cuts to valuable staff for mission readiness. Over 26,000 federal employees who were let go during the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) actions, are now being re-hired, as highlighted in Forbes, exposing the haphazard nature of cuts made with a hatchet, not a scalpel.
The Washington Post reported that “Across the government, the Trump administration is scrambling to rehire many federal employees dismissed under DOGE’s staff-slashing initiatives after wiping out entire offices, in some cases imperiling key services such as weather forecasting and the drug approval process.”
Contracting Officers and Contracting Officer’s Representatives—the very personnel needed to move procurements forward—are in short supply, slowing down the ability to secure necessary services and tools. Meanwhile, critical operational infrastructure is eroding. Federal News Network reports that GSA is “losing too many key people“.
Amid this crisis, there’s one consistent reality: the mission hasn’t changed. The government must still protect, serve, and deliver—only now, it must do so with fewer people, more urgency, and higher complexity. Solving this paradox has a clear solution: AI.
Government Is Behind on AI—But It Doesn’t Have to Be
The U.S. government is lagging in adopting artificial intelligence. A recent article from Tech Policy Press details how bureaucratic gridlock, unclear governance rules and compliance requirements, and a lack of investment are keeping generative AI from transforming government workflows. This isn’t just an American problem: Think Digital Partners recently showed similar inertia across global governments.
But this delay is no longer acceptable. If the government can’t staff back up fast enough, it must scale up differently. That means turning to AI—not as a replacement for people, but as a force multiplier.
8 Purposes of AI—and How They Solve Today’s Government Crisis
Here’s how the government can—and must—use AI to regain momentum:
- Automate Repetitive or Complex Tasks
With contract teams gutted, AI can automate document review, compliance checks, invoice processing, and even elements of procurement workflows. AI doesn’t just replace repetitive manual effort—it eliminates bottlenecks.
- Make Faster and Smarter Decisions
AI can quickly analyze millions of data points to inform decisions in real-time—whether in disaster response logistics, benefits eligibility, or regulatory risk assessments.
- Enhance Human Capabilities
AI copilots and assistants can support overburdened staff—from analysts getting threat pattern alerts to social workers receiving case prioritization suggestions. This focus on augmentation over pure automation enables AI as a technology to support more business processes than traditional digital services or robotic process automations.
- Personalize Experiences at Scale
Whether it’s tailoring VA services to veterans or customizing workforce training, AI can ensure citizens don’t get one-size-fits-all solutions—but instead, timely, tailored support.
- Unlock Insights from Complex Data
AI can extract actionable insights from enormous datasets—satellite imagery for climate monitoring, social sentiment for policy feedback, or unstructured health records for population studies.
- Enable New Capabilities
Think about real-time foreign language interpretation at ports of entry, predictive maintenance for infrastructure, or early-warning systems for wildfires. These aren’t dreams—they’re deployments waiting to happen.
- Drive Efficiency and Cost Savings
With rising scrutiny over federal spending, AI can reduce fraud, minimize operational waste, and optimize scheduling, routing, and service delivery—boosting the impact of every tax dollar.
- Advance Social Good
From improving education outcomes in underserved communities to accelerating emergency response during disasters, AI—when governed responsibly—can make government more equitable, more agile, and more human-centered.
The Path Forward
There’s no cavalry coming. Government leaders must act decisively to embrace AI—not as a novelty or pilot project, but as a foundational tool for rebuilding capability and delivering the mission.
This starts with:
- Rapid upskilling of existing staff
- AI-ready procurement and security frameworks
- Investment in responsible, transparent AI tools
- Creating a culture of experimentation and iteration
The federal government is not just facing a productivity challenge. It’s facing a legitimacy challenge. Citizens expect services to work. If the government fails to deliver, trust erodes. AI isn’t a silver bullet—but it’s the only tool powerful enough to help public servants do more, faster, with less.
About Greg Godbout
Greg Godbout is the CEO of Flamelit – a Data Science and AI/ML consultancy. He was the former Chief Growth Officer at Fearless. Formally the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and U.S. Digital Services Lead at the EPA. Greg was the first Executive Director and Co-Founder of 18F, a 2013 Presidential Innovation Fellow, Day One Accelerator Fellow, GSA Administrator’s Award Recipient, and a The Federal 100 and Fedscoop 50 award recipient. He received a Masters in Management of IT from the University of Virginia, and a Masters in Business Analytics and AI from NYU.
