During a Monday morning meeting, Thomas Shedd, the newly appointed director of Technology Transformation Services and an ally of Elon Musk, informed General Services Administration (GSA) employees that the agency’s new administrator is initiating an “AI-first strategy,” according to sources who spoke with WIRED.
In the meeting, Shedd outlined his vision for a GSA that functions like a “startup software company,” focusing on automating various internal processes and centralizing data across the federal government.
This in-person and Google Meet gathering took place just days after WIRED reported that numerous associates of Musk have transitioned to high-level positions within the GSA and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Before joining TTS, which operates under the GSA, Shedd worked as a software engineer at Tesla, one of Musk’s enterprises. This shift has caused considerable confusion among GSA staff, who have found themselves unexpectedly in one-on-one meetings, tasked with presenting their coding work—often to young engineers who did not clarify their identities—leading them to question the future direction of the agency’s tech initiatives.
Shedd sought to address these uncertainties in his Monday address, detailing various projects that the agency plans to pursue in the coming weeks and months. His emphasis was on the expanded role of AI, not only within the GSA but across governmental agencies nationwide.
As part of what he termed an “AI-first strategy,” sources indicate that Shedd shared a few examples of projects GSA acting administrator Stephen Ehikian aims to prioritize, including the creation of “AI coding agents” intended for use by all agencies. Shedd was clear in his belief that a significant portion of work at TTS and throughout the government, especially concerning financial operations, could be automated.
“This raises concerns,” a cybersecurity expert, who requested anonymity due to possible repercussions, remarked to WIRED on Monday, emphasizing that automating government functions differs considerably from automating other sectors, such as self-driving technology. “People—especially those who are not specialists in the relevant field—often come into these projects thinking, ‘this is simple,’ only to realize later how complex the issues really are.”
Shedd urged employees to view TTS as a software startup facing financial challenges. He posited that the federal government needs a unified data repository and that he is actively collaborating with others to devise such a strategy, although it remains unclear where this repository would be located or whether these initiatives would adhere to privacy regulations. He characterized these concerns as a “roadblock” and asserted that the agency should press on to explore what is feasible.
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According to sources, during the discussion, Shedd closely associated TTS with the United States Digital Services—now rebranded as the United States DOGE Service (DOGE) under Trump—describing them as “pillars” of a new technological program. Later in the session, he clarified there were no plans to merge the two teams; projects would flow between them based on available staff and areas of expertise, but he continued to stress the anticipated collaboration between TTS and DOGE.
Employees also raised questions regarding the young engineers who previously hadn’t introduced themselves in meetings. Shedd mentioned that one individual felt comfortable enough to introduce himself during the meeting, though he expressed concern over exposing their names to the public as it could disrupt their lives.
Shedd was unable to address many inquiries from staff about deferred resignations, the return-to-office mandate, or potential significant reductions in agency personnel, sources reported. At one point, he indicated that workforce reductions were likely for TTS but refrained from providing additional details. (Similar inquiries had been directed at Department of Government Efficiency leadership during a Friday meeting previously reported by WIRED.)
Towards the conclusion of the meeting, a TTS employee posed the question of whether staff would be expected to work more than 40 hours per week in light of the increasing workload and possible layoffs. Shedd replied that this was “unclear.”
