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US launches new "Technology Force" to hire AI talent

2025-12-16 20:21:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

After laying off hundreds of thousands of government employees and closing several federal technology offices this year, the United States is launching a new program to hire new tech talent and close "gaps" within federal agencies.

The “American Technology Force,” announced this week, aims to recruit the technology and artificial intelligence (AI) talent needed to modernize the US government and “help win the global race for AI dominance,” according to Scott Kupor, director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which manages the US federal civil service and is overseeing the project.

In a memo released Monday, Kupor wrote that the program aims to recruit an initial group of about 1,000 qualified technology professionals for a pilot project starting in the spring of 2026.

While the primary focus is on early-career professionals, the program will also allow more experienced technology employees from participating private sector companies to take leave of absence to train and mentor Tech Force participants.

The fellowships will last 1-2 years with annual salaries ranging from $150,000 to $200,000 (127,000 to 169,500 euros), according to the memorandum, with missions ranging from "managing critical financial infrastructure at the Treasury Department to advancing advanced programs at the Department of Defense."

After completing the program, fellows can seek employment at one of about 20 partner companies, which include Amazon Web Services, Apple, IBM, Meta, Nvidia, OpenAI and Oracle. The partner companies have not made any firm commitments to employment, Kupor said.

He added that employees who are temporarily laid off from work in the private sector will not have to give up their shares.

The new talent development program comes at the end of a tumultuous year for technology workers in the United States' public and private sectors.

Several of the government's existing technology teams — at agencies including the Social Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Department of Defense — were disbanded during the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) purge.

President Donald Trump also imposed a $100,000 (85,600 euros) cap on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign nationals in September. The visas are widely held by foreign engineers and scientists employed by major US technology companies.

In response, companies such as Amazon and Microsoft warned their employees to stay in the US or face being denied entry./ CNA