WASHINGTON
US tech billionaire Elon Musk on Thursday discussed cutting government spending by abolishing entire federal agencies and reshaping the Trump administration’s priorities during a video call at the World Governments Summit in Dubai.
Musk outlined key goals for the unofficial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he heads, saying: “We want to restore rule of the people,” which means “reducing the size of the federal government, basically reducing regulation.”
Asked about the main task for DOGE, he said it is about “reducing the size of government, and making the government much more accountable to the people,” believing this would lead to “a better outcome for the people.”
Under Trump’s new administration, there is “less interest in interfering with other countries” Musk noted, saying: “America should mind its own business rather than push for regime change all over the place.”
Criticizing the US government, Musk added: “We (currently) have rule of the bureaucracy, not rule of the people.”
He urged eliminating “entire agencies,” and stressed: “If we don’t remove the roots of the weed, it’s easy for the weed to grow back.”
Highlighting Trump’s efforts to dismantle agencies like the USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy, Musk asked: “How much democracy have they achieved lately?”
Musk also addressed the Trump administration’s push to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, warning: “If hypothetically, AI is designed to prioritize DEI … it could decide there’s too many men in power and execute them.”
He announced that the AI chatbot of his X platform, Grok 3, would launch in two weeks, calling the technology “kind of scary.”
Musk further criticized Sam Altman’s leadership of the US-based OpenAI, comparing it to a nonprofit dedicated to saving the Amazon rainforest becoming a “lumber company that chops down the trees.”
He also unveiled plans for a “Dubai Loop” transit project with the US-based Boring Company, describing it as a “wormhole” for rapid transportation across the city.
