DOGE Plans to Rebuild SSA Code Base in Months, Risking Benefits and System Collapse
The article discusses the ambitious plans by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to migrate the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) outdated COBOL code to a modern programming language within a few months. This rapid migration raises significant concerns over the risk of system failures that could disrupt benefits for over 65 million Americans.
Key Points
- DOGE aims to migrate SSA’s massive COBOL codebase to a modern language like Java in a matter of months.
- Experts caution that such a large-scale migration in a tight timeframe poses risks, including potential underpayments and payment errors.
- The SSA has faced scrutiny and operational challenges recently, including website crashes and long wait times for beneficiaries.
- A similar migration effort in 2017 recognized a need for modernisation but was stalled due to prioritising other projects during the pandemic.
- To achieve this ambitious timeline, DOGE may need to employ generative artificial intelligence to assist in translating millions of lines of code.
Why should I read this?
This article highlights the critical issues surrounding the SSA’s outdated technology and the potential consequences of rushing a complex migration project. Understanding the implications of this transition is important for readers concerned about the future reliability of social security benefits in the U.S., especially in light of ongoing technological challenges within government agencies.