The Daily Scoop Podcast
Episode Title: The fight over Grok in government rages on
Date: October 31, 2025
Host: Billy Mitchell

Overview

This episode focuses on the escalating controversy over the use of XAI's GROK chatbot in the federal government. Advocacy groups are renewing their fight after the General Services Administration (GSA) signed a deal to deploy GROK across federal agencies, despite rising concerns around bias and content moderation. The episode also covers the launch of a new White House tech initiative, marked by the registration of the domain techforce.gov as part of the "America by Design" executive order.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Escalation of GROK Controversy

• Background: Advocacy groups previously urged the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to ban government use of GROK, citing risks of bias and harmful output.

• Recent Developments:

  • GSA finalized a “OneGov” deal, allowing government agencies to purchase Grok4 and Grok4 Fast for $0.42 each until March 2027.
    • “Weeks after the letter was sent, GSA inked a deal with XAI to offer GROK models to the government for a nominal cost… for 42 cents until March 2027.” [01:55]
  • The pricing undercuts offers from vendors like OpenAI and Anthropic, who are selling their models for $1 each.

• Advocacy Group Concerns:

  • Raised in a letter to OMB Director Russell Vogt.
  • Highlighted GROK’s past incidents with “antisemitism or pro-Hitler content.”
    • “GROK has repeatedly demonstrated failures in these areas, and Director Kratzios himself has confirmed that such behavior is the precise type that Executive Order 14319 was designed to prevent.” [01:19]
  • Argue that the GSA deal contradicts Executive Order 14319, which aims to prohibit ideological bias ("woke AI") in federal AI systems signed by President Trump in July 2025.

• Lack of Transparency:

  • Advocacy groups demand GSA publish their assessment of GROK’s compliance with federal guidelines.
    • “Wednesday’s letter states that the OneGov deal raises profound concerns… GSA at the very least should publish its determination of its assessment of Grok.” [03:10]
  • GSA’s AI safety team claims that Grok4 passed internal guidelines, but details remain undisclosed.

• Response from Stakeholders:

  • No immediate comment from GSA or OMB.
  • XAI’s automated response: "legacy media lies." [04:20]

2. White House’s “Techforce” Initiative

• New Domain Registration:

  • The White House registered techforce.gov, linked to a new “National Design Studio.”
    • “The new URL… leads to a sign-in page that says the words National Design Studio and techforce at the top.” [04:38]
  • First discovered by a bot tracking new government domains.

• Initiative Context:

  • Tied to President Trump’s “America by Design” executive order, launched in August 2025.
  • Led by Joe Gebbia (Tesla board member, Airbnb co-founder), now Chief Design Officer.
  • Aims: Reduce design costs, standardize digital experiences, improve public trust, and enhance high-impact government services.
    • “The National Design Studio will guide agencies on how to reduce duplicative design costs, use standardized design to enhance the public’s trust… and dramatically improve the quality of experiences offered to the American public.” [06:00]
  • Actual use of the Techforce website is yet to be clarified.

• Operational Note:

  • White House automatic replies warn of delays due to the ongoing government shutdown.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Advocacy Concerns:
  • “GROK has repeatedly demonstrated failures in these areas, and Director Kratzios himself has confirmed that such behavior is the precise type that Executive Order 14319 was designed to prevent.” — Billy Mitchell [01:19]
• On GSA Deal Pricing:
  • “Under the deal, federal agencies can buy Grok4 and Grok4 fast for 42 cents until March 2027. The deal mimics that of other major AI vendors like OpenAI and Anthropic, which were selling their models to the government for $1 each.” — Billy Mitchell [01:55]
• On XAI’s Response:
  • “When reached for comment, Xai sent back an automatic reply stating, quote, legacy media lies.” — Billy Mitchell [04:20]
• On Design Initiative’s Goals:
  • “…use standardized design to enhance the public’s trust in high impact service providers, and dramatically improve the quality of experiences offered to the American public.” — Billy Mitchell [06:00]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:48] — Advocacy groups’ letter to OMB and details of Executive Order 14319
• [01:55] — Details of GSA’s OneGov deal with XAI for GROK
• [03:10] — Advocacy groups call for transparency from GSA
• [04:20] — XAI’s automatic reply to inquiries
• [04:38] — Launch and discovery of techforce.gov domain
• [06:00] — America by Design initiative explained

Summary

This episode highlights intensified debates within the government tech community regarding the deployment of AI solutions—specifically, the controversial GROK chatbot, scrutiny around transparency and compliance, and the evolving role of design and digital services as signaled by the new techforce.gov initiative. Listeners are left with a sense of unresolved tension and the fast-paced evolution of government tech policy, with these stories likely to continue developing.