US launches AI talent hunt

The initiative is designed to close technical and professional skills gaps across government agencies

The US government on Monday launched a talent recruitment and development program aimed at attracting more technology and artificial intelligence specialists to the public sector, offering what it described as competitive salaries.

Speaking at a news conference, Scott Kupor, director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which will oversee the program, said the initiative is designed to close technical and professional skills gaps across government agencies.

The office plans to hire an initial cohort of about 1,000 experienced software engineers, data scientists, project managers, and AI specialists, who will be deployed across various federal agencies as part of the two-year program.

OPM is also working with technology companies to nominate junior executives, who will be granted leave from their private-sector jobs to join what the government is calling the “US Tech Force.”

The program’s launch comes amid intense competition for AI talent, with technology companies offering lucrative pay packages and other benefits to attract top engineers and researchers.

The initiative will conclude with a job fair spanning the public and private sectors, and participants are expected to earn salaries ranging from about $130,000 to $195,000, according to CNN.

“There is an incredible race for talent in these areas … so part of what we want to do is be competitive on compensation,” Kupor said.

He added that he wanted potential applicants to “understand that in doing this, they’re going to learn a bunch, they’re going to tackle really complex problems, and then they can ultimately go back to the private sector, if that’s what they want to do, and certainly will have the opportunity to maximize their financial opportunity as a result.”