DOGE may be using an algorithm to fire federal workers

AutoRIF, developed by the Department of Defense more than 20 years ago, helps agencies manage workforce reductions. Wired reported that DOGE operatives have been editing its code, with updates made recently through a repository in the Office of Personnel Management’s GitHub, managed by Musk associates after Trump took office. However, a review of that GitHub site contained no “public” repositories.

Efforts to contact and/or get comment from the White House, DOGE, the DOGE Caucus or the Office of Personnel Management were unsuccessful.

“Federal employers using automated decision-making tools sharply reduces transparency for workers and their representatives,” Kunkler said. “There is often no insight into how the tool works, what data it is being fed, or how it is weighing different data in its analysis. The logic behind a given decision is not accessible to the worker and, in the government context, it is near impossible to know how or whether the tool is adhering to the statutory and regulatory requirements a federal employment tool would need to follow.”