Forty Democratic House lawmakers are urging the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to focus on developing a robust Federal AI workforce as it begins its efforts to implement the Biden administration’s recent AI executive order (EO).
In a March 26 letter addressed to OSTP Director Arati Prabhakar, the 40 representatives wrote that in order to achieve the goals outlined in the EO, OSTP must focus on “building out a robust federal AI workforce, upskilling and reskilling our current workers, and pursuing diverse participation in AI-related fields.”
OSTP is a key player in the workforce tasks laid out by Biden’s October 2023 AI EO, including standing up an AI talent surge to accelerate the placement of AI talent within the Federal government.
Led by the leadership of the New Democrat Coalition’s AI Working Group – Reps. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., and Haley Stevens, D-Mich. – the lawmakers posed nearly two dozen questions probing OSTP on its Federal AI workforce progress, including details on Federal agency coordination regarding AI fellowship programs like those at the National Science Foundation.
The letter also calls for information on the National AI Talent Surge and how both this initiative and others will prioritize the inclusion of marginalized communities and workers in their AI training and educational programs.
The 40 lawmakers also requested details on how OSTP is marrying risks and benefits associated with AI systems, including through reskilling and upskilling the nation’s workforce through agencies like the Department of Labor.
“[W]e applaud the extensive workforce development activities outlined in the Executive Order to grow the federal workforce on AI, including the AI Talent Surge that will accelerate the rapid hiring of AI professionals and the upskilling of our current federal workforce,” the letter reads. “These workforce activities build on bipartisan, forward-looking Congressional actions, such as the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, the AI in Government Act of 2020, and the National AI Initiative Act of 2020, that recognize the importance of bolstering our federal workforce to ensure our continued leadership on emerging technologies, including AI.”
“In this vein, developing a robust federal AI workforce will require our federal agencies to attract and retain talented workers; therefore, it is of the utmost importance that our federal agencies are fully funded to not only carry out their work of national interest but also care for their employees,” the letter says.
