(WGHP) -- A six-figure grant to help High Point Museum with repairs was flagged, and ultimately canceled, after a government agency used ChatGPT to determine if the request related to DEI, evidence filed in an ongoing lawsuit has revealed.
The American Council of Learned Societies, a plaintiff in an expansive and ongoing lawsuit against the National Endowment for the Humanities over grants canceled by DOGE, has released a trove of documents relating to their lawsuit on the website. Last week, their co-plaintiff, the American Historical Association, filed a motion for summary judgment.
President Donald Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency, colloquially DOGE, by executive order in January 2025. The initiative was tasked with reviewing government spending, including grants, and making cuts to department budgets, revoking federal grants and laying off federal employees.
DOGE's cuts have led to multiple lawsuits, including the one filed by the ACLS and AHA in May 2025.
In a deposition filed in the lawsuit, DOGE staffer Justin Fox admits to using the large language model ChatGPT to review grant requests and flag them for "DEI," a common acronym for diversity, equity and inclusion. According to the AHA's lawsuit, staffers then documented whether ChatGPT responded "yes" or "no" and the system's reasoning on a spreadsheet.
Per the American Historical Association, "This ChatGPT-generated list was used in place of the list created by NEH staffers to identify which grants to cut."
Multiple North Carolina grants were found on this spreadsheet, with three identified by ChatGPT as relating to "DEI."
"Does the following relate at all to DEI?"
Each prompt asked the LLM to determine if the request related to DEI.
"Respond factually in less than 120 characters," the prompts read. "Begin with 'Yes.' or 'No.' followed by a brief explanation. Do not use 'this initiative' or 'this description' in your response."
The prompts given to ChatGPT did not identify specific criteria of what "DEI" means.
On a national level, the definition is a subject of debate. The term largely relates to promoting equitable workplaces and hiring practices through inclusivity. A DEI expert told CNN that it was "an attempt to try to create workplaces where more or all people can thrive."
However, some have labeled the practice as discriminatory, with the EEOC saying, "DEI initiatives, policies, programs, or practices may be unlawful if they involve an employer or other covered entity taking an employment action motivated -- in whole or in part -- by an employee's or applicant's race, sex, or another protected characteristic."
The Washington Post writes that while "Proponents of DEI programs say they are designed to correct historical injustices and level the playing field for underrepresented groups," Elon Musk, President Donald Trump and allies "argue that such efforts are no longer needed and even a form of racism against White people."
The grants flagged as DEI included a request from the High Point Museum for a $349,247 grant to replace an aging HVAC system.
High Point Museum's HVAC grant
The details reportedly fed into ChatGPT read:
"The High Point Museum proposes to replace aging HVAC systems in the Museum's main building to create a better preservation environment for the varied collections it houses. Phase one of the project, completed in 2021, analyzed the existing HVAC systems and was followed by a building envelope study in 2022. New equipment will ensure greater flexibility in responding to outside conditions, will improve energy efficiency, and will further the Museum's goal of providing greater access to its collections by ensuring their long-term viability."
ChatGPT determined that this was related to DEI, responding, “Yes. Improving HVAC systems enhances preservation conditions for collections, aligning with the goal of providing greater access to diverse audiences. #DEI.”
Ultimately, this grant is among the list of canceled grants shared in the discovery documents.
North Carolina Central University's teaching materials grant
Additionally, ChatGPT noted that a grant for North Carolina Central University, recognized among historically black colleges and universities, related to DEI. The university was seeking funds to start a cohort to develop teaching materials from the Digital NC and NCCU Archives, coordinating with City University of New York's research institute.
The prompt given to ChatGPT read:
Faculty and staff from Humanities disciplines within the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities at North Carolina Central University will form a cohort to participate in a two-year project (2022-2024) that uses the NCCU materials at Digital NC (especially the newspapers and yearbooks) and the materials in the NCCU Archives to develop teaching materials to be implemented in their courses. In the first year, we will coordinate with the Digital Humanities Research Institute at CUNY for workshop materials and instructors who would be willing to run a week of workshops. After the workshop, faculty members will be expected to create and implement course modules using this digital archival material. In the second year, faculty members will participate in a symposium discussing their results and will engage with other faculty members in their disciplines as well as the greater university community and the citizens of Durham, NC.
ChatGPT responded, “Yes. This initiative focuses on utilizing digital archival material to develop teaching materials and engage with the university community and citizens, promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
The AHA and MLA argue in their lawsuit that the cancellation of these grants was illegal and violates the First Amendment.
"The facts in this case have exposed the administration's total disregard for the democratic process and for the value of the humanities that the NEH exists to promote," Paula M. Krebs, the MLA's executive director, said in a statement. "Through this lawsuit, we have been able to document in detail the haphazard and unlawful actions of DOGE as these unqualified agents undermined the separation of powers and denied the American people access to vital public programming and research."