On October 17, as reported by AXIOS, Elon Musk commented that the reform initiative of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he previously headed, had not achieved its goals. He remarked that it was "fundamentally unfeasible" to tackle the fiscal deficit from within the governmental framework. Musk posits that the resolution to the U.S. national debt dilemma hinges solely on artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, rather than resorting to austerity policies.

Musk's statements acknowledge the shortcomings of the DOGE reform, yet he suggests that the government could revisit the endeavor with the assistance of AI in the future. He noted that none of the key governmental branches—the executive led by the President, the legislative represented by Congress, or the judiciary—demonstrate a willingness to implement spending cuts.

Furthermore, Musk conceded that he had over-invested his time and resources in the DOGE project, causing him to be absent from his companies for an extended period. Reflecting on this, he believes he should have maintained a more behind-the-scenes role, suggesting that the project might have necessitated only a month or two, rather than the four months he actually spent at the White House. He emphasized that he should have returned sooner to redirect his focus towards the realm of artificial intelligence.