The U.S. Department of Education's process of being abolished? Elon Musk's government efficiency department has reportedly utilized AI to "audit" departmental expenses.

Representatives of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, have reportedly input sensitive data from the U.S. Department of Education into artificial intelligence software to investigate the agency's projects and spending, according to a report that cited sources familiar with DOGE team actions. The AI investigation involved personal identification information of grant managers and sensitive internal financial data, the report said. The DOGE team accessed the AI software through Microsoft's Azure cloud service to review funding disbursed by the department, including contracts, grants and travel expenses, the report said. The Education Department's leadership has instructed lower-level employees to allow Musk's team access to the financial data, the report said. "DOGE employees are federal employees who have sworn in, passed the necessary background checks and security reviews, and are committed to improving the department's cost-effectiveness, efficiency and accountability to taxpayers. There is no wrongdoing or malfeasance," Madi Biedermann, deputy assistant secretary for communications and outreach at the Education Department, said. Microsoft has not responded to a request for comment. The DOGE team's goal at the Education Department is to reduce spending and ultimately shrink the department and its workforce, according to the report. Earlier reports had indicated that the Trump administration had begun drafting an executive order to start the process of eliminating the Education Department. Trump has repeatedly pointed to the Education Department as a symbol of federal overreach during his campaign, advocating for states to manage schools. The DOGE team also plans to use similar processes in other departments and agencies to access back-end software in government departments and use AI to extract and review information related to employee and project spending, including diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, the report said. Earlier this week, reports said DOGE representatives had visited key payment and contract systems at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to identify potential fraud or waste areas.