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The National Institute of Standards and Technology is bracing for mass firings as part of a larger purge orchestrated by billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. The layoffs could have significant economic consequences for the US, threatening America's scientific foundation and the country's position in the global AI landscape.
NIST is bracing for mass firings of approximately 500 employees, including lab directors. The layoffs are part of a larger purge orchestrated by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The cuts impact technical experts in leadership positions and may include recent hires still in probationary status. NIST has been at the forefront of various research initiatives, including AI studies and cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The layoffs raise concerns about potential conflicts of interest and compromising safety standards.
In recent months, a sense of unease has settled over the scientific community in the United States. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a nonregulatory agency responsible for establishing benchmarks that ensure everything from beauty products to quantum computers are safe and reliable, is bracing for mass firings. Approximately 500 NIST staffers, including at least three lab directors, are expected to lose their jobs as part of the ongoing purge orchestrated by billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The situation is the culmination of a series of events that began when President Donald Trump took office last month and ordered DOGE to slash spending across the federal government. The agency has been bracing for cuts since Trump's inauguration, but fears were heightened last week when some NIST workers witnessed a handful of people they believed to be associated with DOGE inside Building 225, which houses the NIST Information Technology Laboratory at the agency's Gaithersburg, Maryland, campus.
The DOGE staff were seeking access to NIST's IT systems, one of the people said. Soon after the purported visit, NIST leadership told employees that DOGE staffers were not currently on campus, but that office space and technology were being provisioned for them. On Wednesday, Axios and Bloomberg reported that NIST had begun informing some employees that they could soon be laid off. About 500 recent hires who are still in probationary status and can be let go more easily were among those expected to be affected.
Three sources tell WIRED that the cuts likely impact lauded technical experts in leadership positions, including three lab directors who were promoted within the last year. One person familiar with the agency tells WIRED that the official layoff notices may come Friday. The White House and a spokesperson for NIST, which is part of the Department of Commerce, did not yet return requests for comment.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology was originally created in 1901 to help the US science and engineering industries establish scientific norms in areas like measurement. In coordination with the US Naval Observatory, the agency is also responsible for building and maintaining the country's most accurate atomic clocks. Overall, NIST currently employs about 3,400 scientists, engineers, and technicians, according to its website.
The agency has been at the forefront of various research initiatives, including studies on the accuracy of face recognition systems and a database of cybersecurity vulnerabilities. However, in recent weeks, several high-profile NIST leaders working on AI have departed, including Reva Schwartz, who led NIST's Assessing Risks and Impacts of AI program, and Elham Tabassi, NIST's chief AI adviser.
Musk was an early investor in OpenAI and is currently suing the startup over its decision to transition from a nonprofit to a for-profit corporation. The AI Safety Institute (AISI), which was created after former President Joe Biden's sweeping executive order on AI issued in October 2023, has been working closely with AI companies, including rivals to Musk's startup xAI like OpenAI and Anthropic, to understand and test the capabilities of their most powerful models.
However, Trump rescinded the order shortly after taking office last month, describing it as a "barrier to American leadership in artificial intelligence." The AI Safety Institute and its roughly two dozen staffers have been fearing cuts because of its number of probationary employees. In fact, AISI's inaugural director, Elizabeth Kelly, announced she was leaving her role earlier this month.
The implications of the layoffs are far-reaching, with experts warning that they could have significant economic consequences for the US. The agency's timekeeping is used by stock markets, and its research on buildings and pipelines help keep infrastructure intact. "Imparing NIST's function is going to harm business productivity and increase costs," said Jake Auchincloss, a Democrat who serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The layoffs also raise concerns about potential conflicts of interest at NIST, given Musk's intimate dealings with rival AI companies. Representative Auchincloss expressed concern that Musk could be using his influence to compromise safety by influencing standards that affect his Neuralink brain implant venture.
In response to the rumors, a spokesperson for DOGE told WIRED that "the agency is committed to providing high-quality services to the public while ensuring fiscal responsibility." However, insiders say that this statement rings hollow, given the agency's reputation for excellence and commitment to scientific integrity.
As the situation at NIST continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the future of America's scientific foundation hangs in the balance. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has long been a pillar of American innovation, but with Elon Musk at the helm of DOGE, it remains to be seen whether this legacy will continue or come crashing down.
Related Information:
https://www.wired.com/story/the-national-institute-of-standards-and-technology-braces-for-mass-firings/
Published: Thu Feb 20 23:48:17 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
