Elon Musk, in his role as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration, directed the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to send an email to federal employees asking them to list five accomplishments from the past week. The email explicitly requested that no links or attachments be included and asked employees to cc their managers. Responses were intended to be evaluated using artificial intelligence to assess the necessity of federal roles.
The directive caused significant confusion and controversy. Musk had publicly stated on social media that failure to respond would be interpreted as a resignation, though this ultimatum was not included in the email itself712. The OPM later clarified that responding was voluntary and that non-compliance would not result in termination, contradicting Musk’s earlier statements34. This inconsistency led to mixed guidance across federal agencies, with some advising employees to comply and others instructing them to disregard the email entirely.
The use of AI in evaluating responses has drawn criticism, with concerns about its legality and the potential misuse of employee data. Critics have also questioned the effectiveness and fairness of using such an approach to determine job necessity.