DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — During a video conference at the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Thursday, Elon Musk proposed the idea of completely eliminating certain agencies within the U.S. government. This call for radical changes aligns with his ongoing efforts to significantly reduce government spending and reform its overarching policies during the Trump administration.
Musk delivered an extensive overview of what he believes should be the focuses of U.S. governance while incorporating references to potential threats such as “thermonuclear warfare” and the risks associated with artificial intelligence. Sporting a black T-shirt that proclaimed “Tech Support,” Musk humorously positioned himself as the “tech support” for the White House, a nod to his profile on the social media platform X, which he owns. He remarked, “We essentially have the rule of bureaucracy over the rule of the people — democracy.”
He stated, “I think we do need to delete entire agencies as opposed to leave a lot of them behind. If we don’t remove the roots of the weed, then it’s easy for the weed to grow back.” Musk’s previous engagements at the summit have been notable, but his participation at this time is particularly significant as he has gained substantial control over various government aspects, with encouragement from Trump. His new position in the Department of Government Efficiency involves sidelining established officials, acquiring access to key government databases, and navigating a potential constitutional confrontation regarding presidential power limits.
His current influence enhances the implications of his statements beyond simply being the wealthiest individual globally through ventures such as SpaceX and Tesla. Musk articulated a more isolationist stance regarding American involvement in the Middle East, where the U.S. has experienced prolonged military engagements since the September 11 attacks. He observed, “A lot of attention has been on USAID, for example,” while criticizing Trump’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development, questioning, “How much democracy have they achieved lately?”
According to Musk, the Trump administration has adopted a less interventionist attitude towards foreign affairs. He remarked, “There are times the United States has been kind of pushy in international affairs,” a sentiment that may resonate with attendees from the UAE, a nation ruled by an autocratic regime. He proclaimed, “Basically, America should mind its own business rather than push for regime change all over the place.”
Musk also connected the administration’s goals with the reduction of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, indicating potential risks posed by AI if it is directed toward these objectives. “If hypothetically, AI is designed for DEI, you know, diversity at all costs, it could decide that there’s too many men in power and execute them,” he cautioned.
On the subject of AI advancements, Musk expressed optimism for X’s upcoming AI chatbot, Grok 3, forecasting its readiness in two weeks and labeling it as somewhat “kind of scary.” He criticized Sam Altman’s leadership at OpenAI, which Musk recently targeted with a $97.4 billion bid, comparing it to a nonprofit organization aimed at environmental preservation that turns into a company focused on deforestation.
In addition to these topics, Musk revealed plans for a “Dubai Loop” project, which would align with his tunneling initiatives through the Boring Company in Las Vegas to improve transportation efficiency. However, he and the associated Emirati official did not provide specific details about this new venture. “It’s going to be like a wormhole,” Musk stated enthusiastically. “You just wormhole from one part of the city — boom — and you’re out in another part of the city.”
