Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) highlights key actions taken to recruit, hire, and train AI and AI-related talent into the federal government. OPM’s efforts support the AI in Government Act of 2020 and President Biden’s landmark Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI.   

“Recruiting AI talent ensures the federal government can use the latest technology to tackle global challenges, improve government services, and better support the American public,” said OPM Acting Director Rob Shriver. “As a strategic partner to federal agencies, OPM has taken a number of actions that will set agencies up to compete for top talent in this critical field now and in the future.” 

Key OPM actions supporting the AI talent surge include: 

• Launched an AI Talent Surge to accelerate hiring AI professionals across the federal government, including through a large-scale hiring action for data scientists.  

• • The AI and Tech Talent Task Force created by President Biden’s E.O. has spearheaded this hiring action and is coordinating other key initiatives to facilitate hiring AI talent.  

• Granted flexible hiring authorities for federal agencies to hire AI talent, including direct hire authorities and excepted service authorities.   

• • In December 2023, OPM authorized agencies to use a Direct Hiring Authority to assist efforts to increase AI capabilities in the federal government by making it easier for agencies to recruit AI talent from several specialties, including IT specialists, computer scientists and engineers, and management and program analysts. 
  • This authority also increased use of temporary positions under certain Schedule A appointments to support the executive order’s implementation.   

• Issued Skills-Based Hiring Guidance and Competency Model for Artificial Intelligence Positions to assist agencies to identify key skills and competencies needed for AI professionals and increase access to these technical roles for individuals with nontraditional academic backgrounds.  

• • Since the issuance of the AI in Government Act of 2020-Artificial Intelligence Competencies, OPM consulted with SMEs from federal agencies and conducted environmental scans, focus groups, and government-wide surveys. OPM used the qualitative and quantitative data collected to paint a comprehensive picture of AI work throughout the federal government and to validate the attached AI competency model.  

• Issued Responsible Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence for the Federal Workforce to support Federal employees to learn about GenAI’s potential benefits and risks; explore best practices for safely, securely, and responsibly using GenAI in your work; and find ways to learn more about GenAI.   

• Issued Pay Flexibility, Incentive Pay, and Leave and Workforce Flexibility Programs for Artificial Intelligence (AI), AI-enabling, and Other Key Technical Employees Memo to agencies about existing benefits, flexibilities, and incentives for attracting and hiring the AI and AI Enabling talent they need. OPM encourages agencies to use all the tools at their disposal to bring in this newly emerging and highly-in-demand talent.  

• Issued the Artificial Intelligence Classification Policy and Talent Acquisition Guidance to address position classification, job evaluation, qualifications, and assessments for AI positions.  

• Contributed to the Increasing AI Capacity Across the Federal Government: AI Talent Surge Progress and Recommendations Report to the President. The report was submitted by the AI and Tech Talent Task Force, which includes OPM has a one of the agency and office representatives.   
  
  
• Established an interagency working group called Tech to Gov Working Group, made up of human resources professionals, recruiting experts, technical leads, and hiring managers to share best practices on Federal Government-wide hiring of people with AI and other technical skills.   

• • On April 18th, 2024, this working group in partnership with an external nonprofit coalition, hosted the Tech to Gov Forum and Virtual Job Fair focused on AI + AI-enabling talent. The job fair had more than 1,700 registered attendees, representing 50 states, resulting in 1,746 one-on-one agency conversations.  

• Issued the Artificial Intelligence Competency Model for Civil Engineer (GS-810 series) to support agencies and ensure adequate AI expertise in these occupations in the federal government reflect the increased use of AI in critical infrastructure.  

• • In support of this effort, OPM consulted with subject matter experts (SMEs), to explore the impact and use of AI on civil engineer work, and the AI competencies needed to perform civil engineering work. As part of the AI in Government Act of 2020, OPM issued a governmentwide survey to 0810 series, Civil Engineering employees and supervisors to identify critical AI competencies needed to perform civil engineering work.  

• Issued a memo in July 2023 in collaboration with the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). This memo provides specific guidance to use 44 general competencies and 14 technical competencies that have been identified through an environmental scan for AI work. Agencies can use the AI competencies to select, assess, and train AI talent as confirmed by job analyses for recruitment, selection, and hiring.  

The Biden-Harris Administration issued fact sheets highlights key AI actions on the 90-days and 180-days mark since President Biden issued the AI EO.