In a Monday morning meeting, Thomas Shedd, newly appointed director of Technology Transformation Services (TTS) and associate of Elon Musk, informed General Services Administration (GSA) employees about the agency’s shift towards an "AI-first strategy. " Shedd envisioned a GSA operating like a “startup software company” that automates internal tasks and centralizes federal data. This meeting coincided with reports of Musk's associates taking top roles at GSA and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), creating confusion among staff. Many attended unexpected one-on-one sessions to present their work to unfamiliar young engineers, prompting concerns about the future direction of the agency's tech efforts. During the meeting, Shedd detailed upcoming projects focusing on AI integration across the government, including AI coding agents. He expressed confidence that many financial tasks could be automated. However, a cybersecurity expert cautioned against oversimplifying government automation, stressing the complexities involved. Shedd characterized TTS as a financially unstable startup needing a centralized data repository and said he was strategizing its creation, though privacy compliance remained uncertain.

He identified TTS and the United States Digital Services (rebranded as DOGE) as key components of the new tech strategy but clarified there were no plans for merging the two groups. Concerns about unidentified young engineers in meetings were raised, and while one introduced himself, Shedd expressed nervousness about revealing their identities. He also faced questions about deferred resignations, return-to-office mandates, and potential workforce cuts—acknowledging that job reductions were likely for TTS without providing details. In response to inquiries about increased work hours due to anticipated layoffs, Shedd claimed it was “unclear. ”