Bill aims to supercharge American AI talent in federal government

A bill being introduced in Congress would establish new government teams to improve technical talent in federal agencies, with a focus on AI.

A bill being introduced Wednesday in Congress would establish new government teams to improve technical talent in federal agencies, with a focus on artificial intelligence.

The AI Talent Act, led by Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., aims to help the federal government recruit and retain top-tier AI and technical workers, boosting government capacity to apply the fast-moving technologies to real-world issues.

“This is about getting AI and technical talent into all of the different aspects of the government that we now need,” Jacobs said in an interview. “We need people who understand how to apply these technologies, who also understand the risks and benefits and are thinking about the right approach to deployment.”

The act would create specialized talent teams within agencies and at the cross-agency Office of Personnel Management dedicated to recruiting candidates with AI backgrounds and technical abilities. The act would establish centralized resources and talent pools to ease sharing of information about promising candidates among agencies.

The act would also emphasize the role of skills-based examinations and certifications to evaluate candidates’ AI knowledge and abilities.