The U.S. government is in overdrive to hire talent to manage artificial intelligence public policy.
It’s no secret that artificial intelligence is becoming a big priority – if not a target – of the U.S. federal government.
However, identifying an objective and being able to execute a strategy that deals with AI is another matter entirely.
A case in point.
The federal government is reportedly struggling to meet an end-of-the-year deadline to hire chief artificial intelligence officers. The deadline to do so stems from President Biden’s recent executive order that mandates every federal government department onboard an AI chief by December 31, as reported by Axios.
Part of the problem may be pay-related.
While a private sector chief AI officer can expect an annual salary package of about $300,000, the U.S. government is reportedly eyeing an estimated $212,000 annual salary package for its C-suite hires, which may not make the cut with more talented AI executives.
The job description looks daunting, as well.
The role explains the role as managing the “coordination, innovation, and risk management for their agency’s use of AI,” being “deeply interconnected” with all major government department areas, and “improving accountability for AI issues,” Axios reports. The government is looking to staff up 400 AI officers by the deadline, the publication notes.
The hunt for AI-proficient executive officers comes at a time when Uncle Sam is looking to expand its AI oversight in 2024. That effort not only includes hiring C-level AI officers, it also includes staffing up AI-knowledgeable staff members, too.
In the White House’s recent executive order on AI regulation, policymakers say they want to “accelerate the rapid hiring of AI professionals as part of a government-wide AI talent surge led by the Office of Personnel Management, U.S. Digital Service, U.S. Digital Corps, and Presidential Innovation Fellowship. Agencies will provide AI training for employees at all levels in relevant fields.”
To check the team-staffing box, the federal government’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has to hire its leaders first, and that process doesn’t look like it will meet a December 31, 2023 deadline.
Slow, But Steady
Even so, AI task force hiring leaders believe the government is on the right path to deploy all of President Biden’s executive orders in 2024 – even if the pace on the human resources side of the equation is moving slowly these days.
The EO represents the “strongest set of actions any government in the world has ever taken on AI safety, security, and trust,” says White House Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed, in a statement “It’s the next step in an aggressive strategy to do everything on all fronts to harness the benefits of AI and mitigate the risks.
“We’re going to continue to prioritize this, as the president has personally directed us to do,” Reed added.

Brian O’Connell, a former Wall Street bond trader and best-selling author, is a prominent figure in the finance industry. With a substantial background as an ex-Wall Street trader, he has authored two best-selling books: ‘The 401k Millionaire’ and ‘CNBC’s Creating Wealth’, demonstrating his profound knowledge of finance and investing.
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