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Amid a historic shutdown, the technology that keeps the government running, has, largely, kept running. Official websites are online. Internal software is mostly working. And security experts continue to monitor potential cyberthreats. But as the 35-day closure stretches on, the situation could grow more dire, several current and former government officials told Fast Company, threatening the systems and teams that help support tax filing, healthcare systems, airports, and a lot more. Without new funding from Congress, government IT offices can, in the short term, keep a number of essential workers in the office and draw on other funding sources, like, for example, earnings from selling services to other federal agencies to stay online. Tech teams often rely on contractors to run their platforms, and those contracts are sometimes paid out in advance, providing an extra source of support. (Those resources vary, depending on the agency.) But such stopgaps will last only so long, experts warned. And as the shutdown drags on, desperately needed upgrades to federal tech systems will fall behind, making them a lot harder to run. Tech workers will start looking for jobs in the private sector instead. Keep in mind that the U.S. government already has a hard time managing its tech. Federal agencies are running behind on upgrading websites, improving software, and providing experiences to online users that are not frustratingly horrible. The government is also chronically short on technology workers, including tens of thousands of cybersecurity professionals. Many of the people who leave the private sector to work on government technology take a pay cut, often under the assumption that, at the very least, theyll have better job security in the public sector. Now the shutdown is slowing down government tech projects and making the prospect of taking a federal job even less appealing. Thats a major threat to the stated goals of the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency, which include attracting technology talent, improving government software, and increasing the U.S. governments use of AI. Consistent operations are crucial for maintaining a stable and effective workforce across all industries, not just the federal government, Jenny Mattingley from the Partnership for Public Service told Fast Company. When employees face financial uncertainty from delayed paychecks during government shutdownswhich is layered on top of substantial workforce cuts this yearit undermines workplace morale and impedes their ability to perform effectively. She added, These factors collectively foster conditions that make it difficult to attract and keep skilled technology professionals, which hinders technological advancement and modernization efforts in government. How shutdowns impact government tech offices Like elsewhere in government during a shutdown, federal IT offices have to select a handful of workers who are considered essential to keep software running, one current government official told Fast Company. These include people who focus on keeping applications operational and secure. But this approach has flaws, since its relatively easy for a federal agency to lose some critical employees to furlough status while maintaining contractors who are assigned only to less essential tasks. Agencies will sometimes keep a list of employee furlough codes and funding sources, which outline whether theyre exempt from a shutdown or supported by another funding source, another government tech official explained. There might also be a separate list of people who are then recalled from furlough to work without pay, though theyre immediately exempt. The administration seems to be exempting more people from the shutdown than usual in order to blunt the impact of the government closure, the official told Fast Company. Agencies do try to anticipate government shutdowns and plans, a former Treasury official said. Federal agencies dont receive all their funding from congressional appropriations, and sometimes have other funds they can use to keep IT offices open. But as the shutdown drags on, agencies have to prepare for more drastic action. About 25 days into the last government shutdown, the Treasury IT office had begun considering turning off technology platforms used across its employee base, the official said. Projects designed to modernize aging systems, or introduce new technology, are also impacted. A former chief information officer of a federal agency told Fast Company that during the last two government shutdowns, employees focused on core operations, infrastructure, and other support were exempted from the shutdown. But anyone working on new technology development was furloughed. The current shutdown is compounding delays on critical modernization efforts and creating serious impacts that will only grow, the source said. Similarly, a tech official at the State Department said that while they expect the agency to be okaygiven the agencys dependence on contractorsa shutdown can be brutal when there are problems with an ancient government app. There are also latent cybersecurity concerns. Theoretically, the government retains the ability to pull employees for an all hands on deck situation, one official said. But there can still be risks. For instance, during this shutdown, this officials team learned of a vulnerability that had to be patched immediately. While the team implemented the fix, it couldnt communicate with furloughed IT staff who could explain how the update might impact other agency systems. On the one hand, workers are not checking their emails or, more generally, performing government activities, which means theyre less likely to fall victim to phishing attempts, sources told Fast Company. On the other, the shutdown could make the federal government a bigger target. Not paying people could also be a counterintelligence risk, since it becomes easier to offer employees money for information, warned David Nesting, a former White House modernization expert. Shutdown could draw tech workers away Government technology workers, including those who focus on IT, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence, have typically been paid less than what they would otherwise make in the private sector. The highest-level positions denoted on the General Schedule, the main pay guidance for federal workers, have a base of around $162,000; top tech salaries can be several mutiples of that. Federal agencies have also put a strong emphasis on requiring employees to come back to the office. Still, government roles have always had one big advantage: job security. But shutdowns damage the governments reputation as a stable workplace. Just like in the private sector, the most experienced and capable experts are the ones who can find work elsewhere first, Nesting said. There is absolutely a risk that cybersecurity workers will decide, out of necessity, or just getting fed up with the way theyre being treated, that now is the right time for them to consider a career move, Nesting said. This creates a huge challenge for agencies trying to retain cybersecurity talent and persuade potential new hires that this wont happen to them, too, in a year. Kshemendra Paul, a former government tech oficial and public administration expert, speaking in his personal capacity, told Fast Company that the past few administrations have seen a deterioration of the federal budget process, which requires both houses of Congress and the president coming together to agree to fund government activity, making shutdowns more likely. Each shutdown further damages employee confidence. Shutdowns are damaging morale. It increases cynicism, it increases skepticism of change. It makes change initiatives that are aimed at improving cybersecurity, improving information sharing, improving citizen experience, better managing government resources, reducing fraud and waste . . . so much harder, Paul said. They’re already hard to begin with in the government, but then it’s like you are working in a pool of molasses.
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Over the years, I have conditioned myself to only be able to focus in 25-minute increments, a timer counting down in my peripheral. The five-minute break following? Its like a reward. It is now accepted wisdom that taking regular breaks during the workday makes one more productive. How long those breaks should be, however, depends on which productivity method you are subscribed to. Recently, a University of Cambridge mental health researcher has suggested that longer breaks could, in fact, be more effective at tackling those afternoon slumps. “The most productive people work for about 52 minutes at a time and then take 17-minute breaks,” Olivia Remes shared on Instagram. The “52/17 rule” has been around for a while, promising to increase productivity and work-life balance, but Cambridges social post has renewed discussion about it. “This is much better than working for long stretches, adds Remes, who has a PhD degree in public health and primary care from Cambridge. The brain is a muscle that, like every other, can be overstretched. Incessantly being bombarded with emails and Slack messages, juggling calendars and jumping at the Microsoft Teams ringtone, hopping on and off and back on Zoom, and fielding work texts . . . all can cause information and cognitive overload. As many dont have the option to work less, a number of productivity hacks have emerged insteadfrom the MTR framework and time blocking to my beloved Pomodoro method. But, even armed with all these hacks and tools, or leaning on AI to take off some of the mental load, it can still feel like an uphill battle to focus even for a few hours a day. Thats why its not only important when we take these breaks, but how we take them. Remes says the researchers found that while practicing the 52/17 method, the most productive people, during their breaks, completely disconnected from technology.” No sneaking in a few emails or scrolling on X or TikTok. “Instead, they completely disconnected and gave themselves a chance to relax and to rest,” she adds. So its not just the 17 minutesits how you use them. (Or dont use them.) Of course, unplugging is easier said than done. Particularly in a work environment that may not offer the flexibility to pause outside of designated break times, or might question why you’re doing a crossword puzzle during the middle of the workday. Even if you cant set a timer for the entire 17 minutes, stepping away from your desk each hour to get coffee, do a lap around the office, or simply stare out the window and think about what youll have for dinner might just make a difference.
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Below, coauthors Bruce Schneier and Nathan Sanders share five key insights from their new book, Rewiring Democracy: How AI Will Transform Our Politics, Government, and Citizenship. Bruce is a security technologist, teaching at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Munk School at the University of Toronto. He is also a board member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Chief of Security Architecture at Inrupt, Inc. Nathan is a data scientist affiliated with Harvards Berkman Klein Center. He is focused on making policymaking more participatory, with his research spanning machine learning, astrophysics, public health, environmental justice, and more. Whats the big idea? AI can be used both for and against the public interest within democracies. It is already being used in the governing of nations around the world, and there is no escaping its continued use in the future by leaders, policy makers, and legal enforcers. How we wire AI into democracy today will determine if it becomes a tool of oppression or empowerment. Listen to the audio version of this Book Biteread by Bruce and Nathanbelow, or in the Next Big Idea App. 1. AIs global democratic impact is already profound Its been just a few years since ChatGPT stormed into view and AIs influence has already permeated every democratic process in governments around the world: In 2022, an artist collective in Denmark founded the worlds first political party committed to an AI-generated policy platform. Also in 2022, South Korean politicians running for the presidency were the first to use AI avatars to communicate with voters en masse. In 2023, a Brazilian municipal legislator passed the first enacted law written by AI. In 2024, a U.S. federal court judge started using AI to interpret the plain meaning of words in U.S. law. Also in 2024, the Biden administration disclosed more than two thousand discrete use cases for AI across the agencies of the U.S. federal government. The examples illustrate the diverse uses of AI across citizenship, politics, legislation, the judiciary, and executive administration. Not all of these uses will create lasting change. Some of these will be one-offs. Some are inherently small in scale. Some were publicity stunts. But each use case speaks to a shifting balance of supply and demand that AI will increasingly mediate. Legislators need assistance drafting bills and have limited staff resources, especially at the local and state level. Historically, they have looked to lobbyists and interest groups for help. Increasingly, its just as easy for them to use an AI tool. 2. The first places AI will be used are where there is the least public oversight Many of the use cases for AI in governance and politics have vocal objectors. Some make us uncomfortable, especially in the hands of authoritarians or ideological extremists. In some cases, politics will be a regulating force to prevent dangerous uses of AI. Massachusetts has banned the use of AI face recognition in law enforcement because of real concerns voiced by the public about their tendency to encode systems of racial bias. Some of the uses we think might be most impactful are unlikely to be adopted fast because of legitimate concern about their potential to make mistakes, introduce bias, or subvert human agency. AIs could be assistive tools for citizens, acting as their voting proxies to help us weigh in on larger numbers of more complex ballot initiatives, but we know that many will object to anything that verges on AIs being given a vote. Its likely that even the thousands of disclosed AI uses in government are only the tip of the iceberg. But AI will continue to be rapidly adopted in some aspects of democracy, regardless of how the public feels. People within democracies, even those in government jobs, often have great independence. They dont have to ask anyone if its ok to use AI, and they will use it if they see that it benefits them. The Brazilian city councilor who used AI to draft a bill did not ask for anyones permission. The U.S. federal judge who used AI to help him interpret law did not have to check with anyone first. And the Trump administration seems to be using AI for everything from drafting tariff policies to writing public health reportswith some obvious drawbacks. Its likely that even the thousands of disclosed AI uses in government are only the tip of the iceberg. These are just the applications that governments have seen fit to share; the ones they think are the best vetted, most likely to persist, or maybe the least controversial to disclose. 3. Elites and authoritarians will use AI to concentrate power Many Westerners point to China as a cautionary tale of how AI could empower autocracy, but the reality is that AI provides structural advantages to entrenched power in democratic governments, too. The nature of automation is that it gives those at the top of a power structure more control over the actions taken at its lower levels. Its famously hard for newly elected leaders to exert their will over the many layers of human bureaucracies. The civil service is large, unwieldy, and messy. But its trivial for an executive to change the parameters and instructions of an AI model being used to automate the systems of government. The dynamic of AI effectuating the concentration of power extends beyond government agencies Over the past five years, Ohio has undertaken a project to do a wholesale revision of its administrative code using AI. The leaders of that project framed it in terms of efficiency and good governance: deleting millions of words of outdated, unnecessary, or redundant language. The same technology could be applied to advance more ideological ends, like purging all statutory language that places burdens on business, neglects to hold businesses accountable, protects some class of people, or fails to protect others. Whether you like or despise automating the enactment of those policies will depend on whether you stand with or are opposed to those in power, and thats the point. AI gives any faction with power the potential to exert more control over the levers of government. 4. Organizers will find ways to use AI to distribute power instead We dont have to resign ourselves to a world where AI makes the rich richer and the elite more powerful. This is a technology that can also be wielded by outsiders to help level the playing field. In politics, AI gives upstart and local candidates access to skills and the ability to do work on a scale thatused to only be available to well-funded campaigns. In the 2024 cycle, Congressional candidates running against incumbents like Glenn Cook in Georgia and Shamaine Daniels in Pennsylvania used AI to help themselves be everywhere all at once. They used AI to make personalized robocalls to voters, write frequent blog posts, and even generate podcasts in the candidates voice. In Japan, a candidate for Governor of Tokyo used an AI avatar to respond to more than eight thousand online questions from voters. We dont have to resign ourselves to a world where AI makes the rich richer and the elite more powerful. Outside of public politics, labor organizers are also leveraging AI to build power. The Workers Lab is a U.S. nonprofit developing assistive technologies for labor unions, like AI-enabled apps that help service workers report workplace safety violations. The 2023 Writers Guild of America strike serves as a blueprint for organizers. They won concessions from Hollywood studios that protect their members against being displaced by AI while also winning them guarantees for being able to use AI as assistive tools to their own benefit. 5. The ultimate democratic impact of AI depends on us If you are excited about AI and see the potential for it to make life, and maybe even democracy, better around the world, recognize that there are a lot of people who dont feel the same way. If you are disturbed about the ways you see AI being used and worried about the future that leads to, recognize that the trajectory were on now is not the only one available. The technology of AI itself does not pose an inherent threat to citizens, workers, and the public interest. Like other democratic technologiesvoting processes, legislative districts, judicial reviewits impacts will depend on how its developed, who controls it, and how its used. Constituents of democracies should do four things: Reform the technology ecosystem to be more trustworthy, so that AI is developed with more transparency, more guardrails around exploitative use of data, and public oversight. Resist inappropriate uses of AI in government and politics, like facial recognition technologies that automate surveillance and encode inequity. Responsibly use AI in government where it can help improve outcomes, like making government more accessible to people through translation and speeding up administrative decision processes. Renovate the systems of government vulnerable to the disruptive potential of AIs superhuman capabilities, like political advertising rules that never anticipated deepfakes. These four Rs are how we can rewire our democracy in a way that applies AI to truly benefit the public interest. Enjoy our full library of Book Bitesread by the authors!in the Next Big Idea App. This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission.
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