AI.gov Squanders Taxpayer Dollars and Stifles Innovation with Redundant In-House Solutions

AI.gov: A Missed Opportunity for True Innovation and Fiscal Responsibility

The government's latest move to build a custom chatbot, AI.Gov, highlights a familiar pattern: investing taxpayer dollars in internal software that duplicates existing commercial tools but delivers less value. Spearheaded by the General Services Administration’s Technology Transformation Services and the Department of Government Efficiency, this initiative contradicts the very mission of these teams—to save money and increase efficiency.

A Mandate Ignored

Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 12 clearly instruct agencies to prioritize commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) products instead of developing custom solutions. Yet, AI.Gov directly contradicts this mandate. Launching a custom-built chatbot ignores these rules, wasting resources and undermining efforts to foster collaboration between public agencies and private industry.

Build vs. Buy: Why Reinvent the Wheel?

The government’s history with in-house software projects is marked by limited features, poor scalability, and user frustration. AI.Gov seems to follow this trend despite promising features like AI chat assistance and integrations with models from OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. These capabilities already exist in mature commercial products that continuously improve through extensive user feedback.

Building and maintaining such a platform internally is often more expensive than licensing commercial alternatives. Beyond direct costs, there are hidden expenses—delayed adoption, operational inefficiencies, and missing out on innovations developed at the pace of private sector advancements. Subpar tools impact mission readiness, slowing down government employees and warfighters who depend on reliable technology.

Disincentivizing Innovation

Choosing to build rather than buy sends a discouraging message to private companies that invest heavily in security certifications like FedRAMP and Department of Defense authorizations. These companies expect their investments to be rewarded through government contracts. When agencies ignore commercial solutions, they risk losing innovative startups and weakening the defense industrial base, ultimately compromising national security.

The Shadow AI Problem

When government teams lack effective, secure tools, they may resort to unauthorized AI platforms to complete their work. This "Shadow AI" use poses serious risks, including data leaks and security breaches. By not providing proper solutions, agencies inadvertently push employees towards risky alternatives, creating avoidable vulnerabilities.

A Better Path Forward

The government should focus on partnering with commercial AI vendors rather than building from scratch. Collaborations could produce specialized AI agents tailored to mission-critical tasks like fraud detection, contract analysis, and automation. This approach would deliver real value while respecting mandates to prioritize COTS products.

Embracing commercial technology means faster adoption, access to evolving innovations, and better fiscal responsibility. Agencies can augment existing platforms to fit their unique needs without replicating efforts. For those interested in practical AI skill development, resources are available at Complete AI Training, which offers courses designed for government professionals looking to enhance their AI expertise.

To remain competitive globally and improve operational effectiveness, the government must stop competing with industry and instead become a collaborator. Leveraging proven technology and partnerships will better serve taxpayers, government personnel, and national security interests.