Former IRS Commissioner’s Three-Word Warning for Government AI: “Slow Your Roll”

Former IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel says agencies should resist the urge to race toward artificial intelligence productivity gains without first understanding the risks. Werfel, now Executive in Residence at the Johns Hopkins School of Government and Policy, explains why tax may be especially well suited for AI and why that potential makes responsible adoption even more important. He discusses risk registers, hallucinations, autonomous AI behavior and the need for domain-specific frameworks. His three-word advice for organizations deploying AI: “slow your roll.” Werfel argues agencies can capture meaningful efficiency gains while gradually learning how to manage risk, train employees and protect the public.

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