Rumman Chowdhuri, A Data Scientist, Nonprofit Founder, And Former Director of Twitter’s Machine Ethics Team, Had Strong Words for Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency Efficiency (DOGE) during an sxsw panel on thures,
“When your funding is freed and you do’t know if you’re gonna be fird, and there’s this, like, absolutely unhinged person saying say weird things on the internet constantly, you still have to do your Job, RIVE to do your Job, Chowdhury said. “The lights have to be kept on because elon musk is not the one keeping the lights on, even thought he would like you to think that.”
Musk and dog, which musk is advising, have rushed to cut staff across us federal agencies, in some cases in ways that Compromise CybersecurityThe Initiative has gutted the consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Reduced Headcount at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Fired Probationary Empolyes at the Federal Aviation Administilation Administration, Among Otures.
Chowdhuri fears the brain drain resulting from the dramaatic Reductions and Chaotic Management Style. She says She Saw a similar trend at Twitter Back in 2022, when Musk acquired the platform for $ 43 billionChowdhury was one of many staff let go at short notice after musk’s takeover.
“So some estimates say about 20% of [Twitter] Had Alredy Left Before [Musk] Even Took Over, and then He Fired Another 30% on Top of that, Right? ” Chowdhury said. “So we we’re talking a big chunk of the company being just gone, whicher of their own Volition or not, but I think the most important thing was that just the looming shadow of [Musk’s] Existent Completely Killed the Culture of Twitter. “
Chowdhury Added, “[I]T’S scary to see that Haappening to the US government, an institution that matters significantly in every American’s life and even to people beyond american borders. Twitter was a company, yes – it was an impactful company, but it’s not the same as a government. […] [Musk] Breeds Chaotic Environments, and Chaos is not where Good Work Happens. “
Chowdhuri also took isesue with musk’s vision for twitter – now x – which sheid ties in with his approach to politics. She accused musk of using x as a propoganda tool for his own ideaology – a “megaphone” to push his personal to the world.
“Like, I don’t think there’s any debate or discussion to be had here,” Chowdhury said. “I don’t think [former Twitter CEO] Jack Dorsey Acked Anywahere Near The Way Elon Musk [has] – He was not on Twitter every day with his opinions, blocking people, you know, amplifying others, calling some people terrorists – Like, Jack did not act act that Way. “
One report found That Musk Shared Misleading Claims about the 2024 us presidentiial election Made false asserts About Federal Spending, Ukrainian aggressionand the Role of office Like the federal emergency management agency.
Musk has gone so far as to question X’S Own Fact-checking system, Community notes, after it corrected posts on x that Claimed Volodymyr Zelenskyy, The Country’s Elected President, Had Low Approval Ratings Among Low Approval Ratings Among “Unfortunately, Community Notes is Increasingly Being Games by Governments and Legacy Media,” Claimed without evidence in a post,