From October 20-22, along the banks of Shanghai's Huangpu River, the 2026 Sustainable Global Leaders Conference returns once again. Nobel Prize and Turing Award winners will take the stage to discuss the future and trends of technology, and the internet-famous professor who "rescues" people from anxiety and the era of involution—Macfarlane—will engage in a live dialogue with Xiang Biao!
Limited seats available, first come first served. Let us embark together on the journey of sustainability! [Click to Register] Source: Wall Street Insights. Musk candidly admitted that the willingness to cut spending has no market among senior government officials. "If you try to solve the deficit problem and stop wasteful spending, you will make a lot of enemies." He acknowledged that he "got a bit carried away" at the White House and "should have gone back earlier and focused my energy on AI." He hinted that as AI capabilities continue to leap forward, some future administration may leverage more powerful AI tools to attempt deficit reduction once again.
Elon Musk admitted that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) experiment he led ended in failure, and stated bluntly that only artificial intelligence and robotics technology can truly solve America's fiscal deficit problem. In the latest podcast hosted by biographer Walter Isaacson, Musk said the DOGE experience proved "we cannot solve the deficit problem from inside the government." He frankly stated that the willingness to cut spending has "no market" among the President, the House of Representatives, the Senate, or even the judiciary. "Basically, no one in power in the government actually wants to cut spending."
Musk also admitted that during his time in government, he "got a bit carried away" and spent "too long" away from his companies. This statement marks the first time the Tesla and SpaceX CEO has publicly and formally drawn a line under his government work experience, and provides a clearer signal to the market regarding expectations for the continuity of DOGE policies.
DOGE Declared a Failure, Musk Attributes It to Lack of Political Will
In his conversation with Isaacson, Musk offered his most blunt assessment to date of DOGE's limitations. He pointed out that the political will to cut spending is severely lacking across the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, with only a very few exceptions—he named Senator Rand Paul. Musk stated that whether it is the President, the House, or the Senate, virtually no one in power actually wants to reduce spending: if you try to solve the deficit problem and stop wasteful spending, you will make a lot of enemies. President Trump likes to be liked. He doesn't like people calling to complain... about certain funding being stopped.
White House Days: Musk Admits He "Got a Bit Carried Away"
In the interview, Musk rarely revealed his personal feelings about his White House work experience. When Isaacson asked whether his time at the White House had some kind of appeal to him, Musk replied: It did, a little. It felt pretty cool... I was just sitting in the Oval Office, witnessing major decisions being made one after another. I should have kept a lower profile... and it probably would have only lasted a month or two... I should have gone back earlier and focused my energy on artificial intelligence. He also admitted that this experience kept him "away from his companies for too long," and candidly stated that he "got a bit carried away" at the time. This is Musk's most direct reflection to date on the state of his companies' management during his government tenure.
Betting on the Future: AI and Robots Become the New Solution
Despite his critical attitude toward DOGE, Musk has not abandoned his vision of solving fiscal problems through technological means. In the interview, he hinted that as artificial intelligence capabilities continue to leap forward, some future administration may leverage more powerful AI tools to attempt deficit reduction once again. Isaacson himself also issued a warning this week about the potential risks of AI development, suggesting that great creators of the personal computer era such as Steve Jobs would remain cautious about autonomous AI agents that lack close human oversight.
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