ChatGPT Tells Us How To Organize The United States Federal Budget

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By Joe Burgett - July 1, 2025

ChatGPT is a powerful artificial intelligence tool that has enabled the world to accomplish some incredible things. This gave us an idea: what if we tasked ChatGPT with making a federal budget for the United States? We wanted it to be apolitical, without leaning in any specific direction. The AI needed to utilize the funds allocated to it in the most efficient and economical manner.

This meant that yes, some areas would have more or less than others. However, we felt it would lead to a better outcome overall! Based on the results, we believe it provided exactly what the United States needs. To such an extent that we think the federal government should enact this budget immediately. It truly has something for everyone!

Let’s get started on this ChatGPT proposed federal budget

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The Money We Gave It

ChatGPT Tells Us How To Organize The United States Federal Budget — [Image via RomanR/Shutterstock.com]

Due to the significant debt of the United States, we sought a budget that could reduce the deficit while still producing. This is why we allocated a total of $4 trillion for its use. This takes us to the lowest federal budget since President Donald Trump’s first budget, which was $3.981 trillion in 2017. He inherited a booming economy that allowed him to avoid needing to add more.

However, this changed partly due to the COVID Pandemic as well as Trump’s Tax Plan, which led to President Joe Biden’s final budget of $6.75 trillion in the 2024 federal budget. We wanted to bring the United States back to a lower number that could also reduce our debt.

This is why we asked ChatGPT to run on just $4 trillion.

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Social Security

Initially, ChatGPT added Social Security spending to the federal budget. This was an issue, as we’re looking for an operational budget that would technically not include it. Social Security is self-funded, after all, so it would make sense to remove it from the operational budget.

It agreed, telling us that it’s both pragmatic and intellectually honest to treat Social Security separately from the annual federal budget. Doing so:

Reflects its dedicated funding structure
Provides a clearer view of discretionary vs. entitlement obligations
Helps policymakers and the public better target deficit and debt reduction strategies

That said, it’s wise to continue tracking its long-term solvency—but that’s a policy reform issue, not an annual budgeting issue. Adding Social Security took $1.1 trillion off the top of its original federal budget. Now, we were able to add this back to get what is honestly a tremendous budget.

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Healthcare – $1.05 Trillion

ChatGPT suggests that we need to invest heavily in healthcare, which is quite the opposite of what is being proposed in Washington, D.C., at present. They dedicated $1.05 trillion to this, breaking it down in this way:

Medicare: $700 Billion
Medicaid & CHIP: $230 Billion
Public Health Infrastructure, Mental Health, & ACA Support: $120 Billion
This represents a technical increase from the previous budget. ChatGPT added an extra $100 billion for rural hospitals, behavioral health services, pandemic stockpiling, and addiction treatment.

We’re not quite sure why they wanted to stockpile for a possible pandemic. Maybe it knows something we don’t?

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Defense & National Security – $850 Billion

The United States Defense & National Security fund is often huge. ChatGPT does not want to take too much away from these major departments. This is how they broke down how they’d spend the money given to the military:

DoD Operations, Modernization, R&D: $725 Billion
Nuclear Detterence, Space & Cyber Defense, Coast Guard, DHS: $125 Billion

There are some increases here, particularly in funding allocated to research and development (R&D). The reason is that ChatGPT feels we should focus on next-generation military readiness. This includes technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and drones. They’re also wanting to improve housing for our troops and increase funds for mental health.

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Education – $350 Billion

Education is often among the first things Republicans tend to cut from, while Democrats tend to allocate more money to this realm. ChatGPT is meeting them in the middle here. They broke this budget down like this:

K-12 Expansion (Title I, Special Education): $150 Billion
College Affordability (Pell Grant Expansion, Debt Relief): $100 Billion
Vocational, AI-Era, & STEM Grants: $100 Billion

There are some monetary increases here, particularly for initiatives such as early childhood education and supporting historically black colleges (HBCUs). They’re also planning to launch more national apprenticeship pipelines, which is something many conservatives would likely back.

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Infrastructure & Transportation – $250 Billion

President Joe Biden heavily invested federal funds into infrastructure and transportation during his Presidency. The infrastructure bill is one of the most significant pieces of legislation Congress has worked to pass in the last decade, which will do a lot to help us out. However, ChatGPT feels that we need to add more. Here is how they broke down the money they’d spend:

Road, Bridges, Rail, Public Transit, EV Grid: $200 Billion
Smart Cities & Broadband Expansion: $50 Billion

The increase is recommended to fund long-delayed repairs, equity infrastructure in rural and tribal zones, and broadband as a utility. It makes sense, considering the infrastructure bill does not cover all of this.

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Climate, Energy, & Environment – $250 Billion

Another area often reduced by conservative leadership is these critical areas, which we need to be funding more. ChatGPT appears to agree, particularly on topics such as renewable energy resources. This is how they broke down their spending for Climate, Energy, & the Environment:

Clean Energy R&D, Solar/Wind Buildouts, EV Incentives: $150 Billion
Wildfire Prevention, Resiliant Infrastructure, Clean Water: $100 Billion

The spending here makes sense, especially to reduce wildfires. They aimed to address both mitigation and resistance with urgency, while also creating green jobs. This is pretty useful, if you ask us. Not only are we tackling a clear need, but we’re also creating new jobs for Americans at the same time. That’s a win/win in our book!

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Veteran Affairs – $150 Billion

ChatGPT decided to separate Veterans Affairs from its overall military and cybersecurity budget, as it appears to feel there is a need to improve this area.

Every penny of this money will go towards healthcare, housing, job transition, and mental health support. ChatGPT feels we need to try to cover all of this for as many Veterans as possible. While mental health is part of the VA, suicide prevention is not. This is why they wanted to add targeted suicide prevention to the list of expanded improvements, along with fully modernizing current VA facilities.

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Housing & Urban Development – $125 Billion

Housing and Urban Development, often referred to as HUD, is a critical part of the United States. This is the area you go to for government housing needs, among other things. ChatGPT was willing to offer a substantial amount of money to HUD for several reasons. Here’s how they broke it down:

Affordable Housing, Vouchers, Homelessness Prevention: $90 Billion
Zoning Reform & Smart Growth Incentives: $35 Billion

This money is being used to address the United States housing shortage with grants, not mandates. The likely reason for this is that mandates do not provide significant benefits, whereas grants are money in your pocket, ready for use.

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Science, Research, & Technology – $175 Billion

As obviously science people, we wanted ChatGPT to offer us a lot more money. However, we’re cool with getting $175 billion to play around with. Of course, money does not often go as far as one might think. Still, this could help the United States stay competitive.

All of this money will go to the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy Research Arms, NASA, and ARPA-H/E/I.

ChatGPT wants the United States to be competitive, too. They believe this money will empower U.S. innovation against China and the European Union.

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Food & Agriculture – $100 Billion

ChatGPT decided to provide more money that will affect food in other territories, but this was specifically related to federal food programs, along with the expansion of agricultural funding. Please note that this does not pertain to existing bills or grants. Here is how they broke the funding down:

SNAP, WIC, School Meals: $80 Billion
Regenerative Farming, Climate-Smart AG, Rural Revitalization: $20 Billion

Their goal here was to build food sovereignty and fight food deserts. However, it should be noted that things such as school lunches are often provided by the state government, not the federal. Therefore, it appears that most of the $80 billion would be allocated toward food assistance programs.

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Justice, Law Enforcement, & Homeland Security – $100 Billion

The Justice Department often receives a significant amount of funding, but ChatGPT decided not to overly fund the department. Instead, this is an area where the AI chose to save money. Here is how they broke down where the $100 billion will go:

FBI, ATF, DEA, DOJ, CBP, & ICE Modernization: $80 Billion
Grants For Community Policing & Reforms: $20 Billion

They aim to implement transparency technology, such as body cameras and reporting systems, while avoiding the creep of militarization. That said, the state often funds policing. However, offering grants would make sense to ensure reform takes place. However, we do not feel that $20 billion would cover every department in the country.

This might be one area where we did not like the ChatGPT result. However, cuts needed to be made somewhere, and this isn’t a bad place to make those cuts.

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International Affairs & Global Development – $75 Billion

Cuts yet again were essential to make, and this is an area we often see conservatives cut funds from, while liberals add more. ChatGPT appears to be siding with conservative thought here, while still offering a substantial amount of money.

All of this money will be allocated to the diplomatic corps, global health initiatives, USAID, and multilateral aid. ChatGPT’s goal is to restore the United States’ soft power and international leadership in humanitarian and climate aid.

It’s not as much money as we likely need to add, but it’s a smart area to cut money from if we want to save money.

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Labor & Workforce Development – $60 Billion

There is a clear need to allocate federal funds to areas like this. While ChatGPT does not believe we need to invest too much money in this area yet, this could change in the next few years due to the rise of artificial intelligence and automation.

The $60 billion will be allocated to initiatives such as reskilling, workforce development boards, and support for displaced workers. ChatGPT aims to align labor investment with the risk of AI displacement.

We’re glad ChatGPT is being fully transparent that AI will affect jobs.

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Government Operations & Oversight – $50 Billion

This is a common area where we do not allocate a significant amount of money. ChatGPT aims to maintain stability with our current approach. However, they want the money to specifically go to IRS modernization, the judiciary, and regulatory bodies (such as the EPA and SEC).

Some cash for this might also be available in other areas, but ChatGPT still wanted to offer separate funds. The goal for ChatGPT here is to deliver better service, especially in addressing the post-COVID backlog and reducing tax fraud.

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Emergency Preparedness & Strategic Reserve – $35 Billion

This is another area where we might not be on board with ChatGPT. This is primarily due to the rise in tornadoes, hurricanes, and wildfires. However, ChatGBT is already offering significant funding in these areas within its Climate, Energy, and environmental initiatives.

The $35 billion will be going to FEMA, CDC surge capacity, as well as pandemic & wildfire response funds. The goal is to offer permanent stockpiling and rapid-response surge capacity as well.

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Targeted Middle-Class Tax Relief – $80 Billion

ChatGPT knows that the Middle Class has been hit hard in recent years, primarily through the Trump Tax Plan that raised taxes on the Middle Class to fund tax cuts for the one percenters. Due to this, ChatGPT has a targeted plan to help.

They are using $80 billion to fund refundable childcare tax credits, an expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit, and an increase in the SALT relief cap. The goal here is to strengthen both lower and middle-income economic participation.

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Debt Reduction – $350 Billion

This plan will reduce the United States’ debt by $350 billion alone. This is a significant payment toward the debt, which also reduces future interest obligations. It’ll also balance the increased spending with long-term responsibility. While this is not a significant cut at present, we could easily increase production and move into a surplus by stimulating the economy through some of ChatGPT’s initiatives.

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The End Goal

While ChatGPT’s plans are certainly not perfect, they did come up with a federal budget that gives valuable something to everyone, with an apolitical aim, hoping to help the average American. This is something most of us can support. ChatGPT’s plans shape out like this:

Long-Term Investment: Education, infrastructure, science, and green energy are growth drivers. This budget puts the U.S. on track for global competitiveness.
Fiscal Discipline: Even with increases, the debt is still cut by $350 billion, which is a responsible counterbalance

Stability and Progress: The budget ensures readiness in defense, health, housing, and disaster relief while promoting innovation, equity, and resilience.

Family-Oriented Relief: The targeted tax relief ensures middle-and working-class households benefit directly from economic gains.

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