The artificial intelligence revolution is going full force now, as companies and individuals alike are turning to the technology for data, coding, and a variety of things. The idea has exploded into new realms of possibility for people and now, Washington wants to get in on the action. The Trump administration has now launched a campaign to hire 1,000 AI engineers into federal roles for two-year stints.
They are looking to bring a taste of Silicon Valley to Capitol Hill, bringing in hires with an expertise in software engineering, AI, cybersecurity and data analytics. All things that AI is more than capable of doing. It could not only bring highly qualified people to Washington, but it could also continue the work that DOGE has been doing since President Trump re-took the White House.
Colin Madine of Breitbart says this could be a very good thing, both for the administration and for the young tech wizards.
"The government is usually well behind the private sector and Silicon Valley...what they are doing is creating an effort to bring some of those talented people into government service," he says.
The other part of this equation is that the hiring, even for short stints, is a networking chance for the young tech geniuses. They get a chance to work within specific government agencies and learn how the government works from those within it.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) came about during this second Trump term, with the aim at saving the country money by identifying fraud and abuse within departments. So far, those actions are still ongoing, and AI adds another potential avenue. Which could be a key point for these engineers.
"DOGE showed us there are young people not only thinking of personal wealth...they are thinking about the opportunity to have a better government," says Madine. "There is both the interest from young people in contributing, and now the opportunity to be matched up with areas of the government that badly need help."
Cleaning up the government has become a central focus for many younger people. Many are outraged by the tax dollars being wasted on things like trans surgeries for kids in other countries or making a DEI inclusive Sesame Street in Iran.
But there is one hiccup. These AI engineers are a high commodity item and bring in gargantuan paychecks. That presents a challenge.
"AI engineers are signing multi-million dollar contracts, even at the age of 18, in Silicon Valley right now," Madine says.
But this chance to be included in fixing up our governments rampant fraud could be enough to draw some high-quality talent to Washington. It is about time, too.