DOGE staff used unvetted ChatGPT to identify and cancel NEH grants
The Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency reportedly used ChatGPT to identify grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities as DEI-related, leading to the cancellation of over $100 million in funding. Court documents revealed that DOGE employees with no academic research experience relied on the AI tool's responses to determine which grants to terminate, including a museum's HVAC system replacement project.
What happened
DOGE employees Justin Fox and Nate Cavanaugh used ChatGPT to determine if National Endowment for the Humanities grant proposals pertained to DEI efforts, according to court documents filed as part of a lawsuit challenging the funding cuts.
The spreadsheet presented as evidence shows prompts asking ChatGPT: 'Does the following relate at all to DEI? Respond factually in less than 120 characters. Begin with 'Yes.' or 'No.' followed by a brief explanation.' On March 12, 2025, DOGE met with NEH leaders, and by April 1, the NEH had cancelled approximately $100 million in grants.
Among the cancelled grants was a $349,000 High Point Museum proposal to replace an aging HVAC system. ChatGPT flagged the proposal as '#DEI,' stating 'Improving HVAC systems enhances preservation conditions for collections, aligning with the goal of providing greater access to diverse audiences.' The museum director reported the grant was later terminated after it had begun.
Reported impact
The terminations affected 97 percent of NEH's grants, with 65 percent of agency employees terminated by May 2025. The American Council of Learned Societies, American Historical Association, Modern Language Association, and Authors Guild filed a joint lawsuit claiming the cuts violated First Amendment rights and the Constitution's equal protection clause.
Index analysis
DOGE staff who had no experience in academic research or humanities made funding termination decisions using ChatGPT outputs without apparent human vetting or subject matter expertise. The AI system appears to have misidentified infrastructure projects as DEI-related based on language such as 'diverse audiences' and 'accessibility,' demonstrating inability to distinguish between legitimate administrative purposes and diversity initiatives.
Governance controls
Acting NEH chair Michael McDonald yielded authority to cancel grant funding to DOGE staff, according to internal emails. The terminations occurred following executive orders signed by the president in January 2025 to end federal funding for research grants related to diversity, equity and inclusion, though the plaintiffs argue the process violated separation of powers and proper Congressional approval.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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