Wanted: 1,000 specialists for new U.S. ‘Tech Force’ AI program

Daily News Article   —   Posted on January 15, 2026

(by Kevin Breuninger, CNBC) – The Trump administration on Monday unveiled a new initiative dubbed the “U.S. Tech Force,” comprising about 1,000 engineers and other specialists who will work on artificial intelligence infrastructure and other technology projects throughout the federal government.

Participants will commit to a two-year employment program working with teams that report directly to agency leaders in “collaboration with leading technology companies,” according to an official government website.

Those “private sector partners” include Amazon Web Services, Apple, Google Public Sector, Dell Technologies, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, Oracle, Palantir, Salesforce and numerous others, the website says.

The Tech Force shows the Trump administration increasing its focus on developing America’s AI infrastructure as it competes with China for dominance in the rapidly growing industry.

The initiative was announced four days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at establishing a national AI policy framework [with the intention of preventing state regulations from hindering AI innovation, economic competitiveness, and national security. This followed Trump’s July release of “Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan,” a set of initiatives and policy recommendations that centers on growing US AI infrastructure and scaling back regulation to promote US competitiveness].

Once Tech Force members complete their two [year] terms, they can seek full-time jobs with those companies, who have committed to consider the programs’ alumni for employment. The private partners can also nominate their employees to do stints of government service.

Annual salaries will likely fall in the range of $150,000 to $200,000, plus benefits.

“We’re trying to reshape the workforce to make sure we have the right talent on the right problems,” U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Scott Kupor told CNBC…on Monday morning.

The engineering corps will be working on “high-impact technology initiatives including AI implementation, application development, data modernization, and digital service delivery across federal agencies,” the site says.

Published at CNBC on Dec 15. Reprinted here for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced on other websites without permission.


Questions

NOTE TO STUDENTS: Before answering the questions, read the “Background” below the questions and watch the video under “Resources.”

1. What is the newly formed "U.S. Tech Force" announced by the Trump administration in December?

2. What will those hired for the Tech Force do?

3. List the private sector partners who will work with Tech Force. (See "Background" for full list)

4. List the types of projects those hired will be working on.

5. What is the benefit to those who work for the Tech Force for two years?

6. Read the "Background" below the questions and watch the videos under "Resources" below.
Then, read the FAQs at the U.S. TechForce website.

a) For the 1st video:
How effective do you think this ad is in appealing to young people who might make a lot more money at a private tech company?

b) For the 2nd video, CNBC's interview with OMB Director Scott Kupor.
The Trump administration's goal is to modernize the federal government systems by getting top talent in, eliminating bureaucracy and red tape and "creating a high performance culture" in the federal government. Do you think they will succeed? Explain your answer.

7. Consider Tuesday's article on the Department of War's "AI Acceleration Strategy" and this article on the "U.S. Tech Force" - both programs to modernize how our federal government and military operate.

  • AI Acceleration Strategy is to make the US. military the world’s leading AI-enabled fighting force, marking a major shift in how the Pentagon develops and deploys emerging technologies.
  • U.S. Tech Force's goal is to modernize federal agencies by hiring "an elite group of technologists to transform the federal government through modern software development" in partnership with the leading tech companies.

Are these bad ideas? Are they good ideas? Explain your answer.


Background

Visit the U.S. Tech Force website at techforce.gov.  The website notes:

from a Dec. 15 CNN report:

Members of the new US Tech Force will work directly for individual agencies on projects determined by agency leadership. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will conduct an initial review and technical assessment of applicants and recommend approved candidates to agencies for final interviews and hiring decisions.

Applications opened December 15, and OPM hopes to have most members of the first cohort placed in roles within the first quarter of 2026.

Members of the Tech Force are expected to work on projects such as incorporating advanced AI into drones and other weapons at the Department of Defense, building out the Trump Accounts platform at the Internal Revenue Service, and using AI to improve intelligence at the State Department, among other initiatives, according to Kupor.

Throughout the two-year program, OPM plans to bring in Silicon Valley CEOs and other executives for speaker events. It will also partner with around 25 tech companies to provide mentorship and career planning advice to members of the cohort. ...

The [2 year] program will conclude with a job fair, where program members will have access to both public- and private-sector opportunities. Salaries for members of the Tech Force are expected to range from approximately $130,000 to $195,000. NOTE: The U.S. Tech Force website lists salaries $150,000 to $200,000.

“There is an incredible race for talent in these areas … so part of what we want to do is be competitive on compensation,” Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor said. He added that he wanted potential applicants to “understand that in doing this, they’re going to learn a bunch, they’re going to tackle really complex problems, and then they can ultimately go back to the private sector, if that’s what they want to do, and certainly will have the opportunity to maximize their financial opportunity as a result.”