Trump administration launches campaign to hire 1,000 engineers for AI, tech roles

WASHINGTON - The US government launched a campaign on Dec 15 to hire 1,000 engineers for two-year federal positions, including those who have artificial intelligence expertise, according to a senior Trump administration official.

The engineers will tackle specific projects inside government agencies, including building a digital platform for the Trump administration’s savings accounts for children, said Mr Scott Kupor, the director of the US Office of Personnel Management.

The goal is to hire the first round of engineers by March 31, Mr Kupor said.

The government wants to “get the benefit of really smart people working on some of the world’s most complex and difficult problems,” he said.

The hiring initiative is part of the Trump administration’s AI agenda, led in part by former PayPal executive David Sacks. Private companies have pledged to consider the programme’s alumni for positions, Mr Kupor said.

The list of companies includes Apple, Google and Nvidia, among others, according to the programme’s website.

The Trump administration is looking to hire employees with expertise in software engineering, AI, cybersecurity and data analytics, according to the website.

Former president Joe Biden set up a similar initiative to bring AI professionals into government jobs. That effort resulted in about 200 hires, according to a 2024 statement from the Biden administration.

About 75 of those employees remain in government roles, Mr Kupor said. REUTERS