DOGE builds AI tool to slash federal regulations in hours, not months

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has developed SweetREX, an AI tool designed to automatically review federal regulations and identify rules for elimination across US government agencies. Created by Christopher Sweet, a University of Chicago undergraduate who took leave to join DOGE, the tool aims to support President Trump’s deregulation agenda by reducing the time needed to review regulations from months to just hours or days.

What you should know: SweetREX operates by scanning federal regulations to flag sections it deems unnecessary based on statutory requirements, then generates draft revisions for government review.

• The tool primarily uses Google’s Gemini AI models and is being developed by DOGE associates operating from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
• Government attorneys and policymakers can review the AI’s proposed changes and make adjustments before implementation.
• The system also categorizes public comments on proposed regulatory changes into AI-determined “buckets” and identifies whether commenters are individuals or “sophisticated” corporate entities.

The big picture: This represents a concrete step toward DOGE’s ambitious goal of eliminating “50 percent of all federal regulations,” according to internal documents obtained by The Washington Post.

• The tool supports Trump’s “Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation” executive order, which aims to “promote prudent financial management and alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens.”
• Industrial-scale deregulation is a core component of Project 2025, the conservative policy blueprint serving as a playbook for the second Trump administration.

Key details: The rollout involves coordination across multiple federal agencies, with plans to expand beyond HUD.

• Wednesday’s demonstration call included staffers from the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of State, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
• Scott Langmack, a DOGE-affiliated senior adviser at HUD and chief operating officer of proptech company Kukun, is leading the tool’s deployment to different agencies.
• Sweet told colleagues that “a lot of the productivity boosts will come from the tools that are built around these platforms,” referring to AI systems from companies like Anthropic and OpenAI.

Mixed reactions: Government workers have expressed varying responses to the AI deregulation efforts.

• A HUD employee previously told WIRED that reviewing AI-flagged regulations to explain why they might still be needed was “painful.”
• However, several participants on Wednesday’s call praised SweetREX as “awesome” and “great.”
• Someone identified as Steve Davis—potentially Elon Musk’s top lieutenant who previously ran DOGE—asked about open-sourcing the software on GitHub.

Why this matters: The deployment of AI for systematic deregulation represents an unprecedented use of artificial intelligence to reshape government oversight and regulatory frameworks.

• The tool could significantly accelerate the pace of deregulation across federal agencies, potentially affecting everything from environmental protections to financial regulations.
• The involvement of a college undergraduate as the primary developer raises questions about the expertise and oversight guiding such consequential policy automation.