U.S. ‘Tech Force’ Aims to Beef Up Federal Expertise, AI Adoption After Purge

The Trump administration is replacing some of the expertise the government lost after a mass downsizing. (© Akodisinghe | Dreamstime.com)

Key Points

• The Trump administration launched a “Tech Force” initiative to recruit 1,000 tech fellows for one- to two-year stints to address a shortage of specialized technical expertise in the federal government.
• The program aims to deploy teams of engineers, data scientists, and technology leaders to modernize the federal government and fast-track AI adoption.
• Concerns exist regarding the program’s effectiveness due to short deployment times and potential conflicts, as participating private sector companies are also federal contractors.

The Trump administration is aiming to address the federal government’s shortage of specialized technical expertise by creating a government-wide U.S. “Tech Force.” The move comes as the government seeks to replace some of the expertise it lost after mass downsizing earlier this year.

Tech Force will “surge teams of top engineers, data scientists, and technology leaders to tackle the government’s most complex and large-scale challenges,” in fields like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, and software engineering. They would work on initiatives to modernize the federal government, focus on the most mission-critical projects, “fast-track AI adoption” across the government, and “unleash” private sector innovation at tech companies that are part of the program.

The government would hire 1,000 fellows for one- or two-year stints, led and mentored by experienced technical managers hired from the private sector to serve one- or two-year terms in the federal government.

The Office of Personnel Management, the Office of Management and Budget, the General Services Administration, the White House Office of Science Technology and Policy, and other agency leaders announced the program on Monday as part of the administration’s AI Action Plan.

Participants will receive technical training and work closely with senior engineers from the tech industry, as they work on “the most mission-critical projects” across several federal departments and agencies, including State, Treasury, Labor, Transportation, and Homeland Security, among others.

“If you want to help your country lead in the age of rapid technological advancement, we need you,” Office of Personnel Management director Scott Kupor said. “Tech Force offers the chance to build and lead projects of national importance, while creating powerful career opportunities in both public service and the private sector.”

Donald Moynihan, a professor of public policy at the University of Michigan’s Ford School, said that while getting new tech talent into government is always a good idea, “the problem is especially acute because the Trump administration got rid of some very talented technologists already in government, such as those working at the U.S. Digital Service and 18F.”

For example, the business unit known as 18F had about 90 tech consultants and engineers focused on making digital services in the federal government more efficient and responsive. But its members were abruptly fired on March 1, during the GAO’s mass purge of government workers.

“The reality is that tech talent in the government is in a recovery mode because of the actions of DOGE,” Moynihan said. DOGE is the acronym for the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, which helped identify areas to cut.

The learning curve for government jobs is steep, Moynihan added, and short deployments mean that people may not be in their roles long enough to be successful.

Private sector companies participating in the Tech Force program include a long list of top tech and AI companies, such as Magnificent Seven members Amazon , Apple , Alphabet-owned Google’s public sector group, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, and Nvidia.

Other participants range from big tech companies like IBM , Dell Technologies, and Oracle to AI start-up OpenAI, software providers such as Palantir, Salesforce, and SAP, plus companies ranging from Uber Technologies to Coinbase to Zoom, among others. (Read a full list here.)

Moynihan pointed out that many of the corporations providing the talent for Tech Force are also contractors with the federal government. This raises questions about potential conflicts for employees who are expected to return to their companies. “Will they be committed to building government capacity when their companies benefit from bidding to provide services and vendor lock-in?” he asked.

The Tech Force program also aims to give 200 students in technology programs “meaningful public-service experience and the opportunity to earn college credits” in exchange for a volunteer Semester of Service.

Write to Janet H. Cho at janet.cho@dowjones.com