As part of the Department of Government Efficiency's move to cut temporary, or "term," positions, the Trump administration has been eliminating positions held by technicians who specialized in artificial intelligence, most of whom were hired during the Biden administration.
At the same time, the Trump White House has been aggressively moving to hire AI experts that its personnel managers have vetted, leading Time sources to conclude that Trump "has undermined those very efforts." The report said the Trump administration recently fired hundreds of computer technicians, many with experience with AI.
Deirdre Mulligan, who helped oversee the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office under Biden, told Time, "The Trump administration's actions have not only denuded the government of talent now, but I’m sure that for many folks, they will think twice about whether or not they want to work in government."
Mulligan said continuity is important for technical hires. "It’s really important to have stability, to have people's expertise be treated with the level of respect it ought to be and to have people not be wondering from one day to the next whether they're going to be employed."
President Donald Trump ordered several initiatives aimed at AI use in the government structure and America's schools and hired several top AI experts to develop the administration's approach. The White House has offered no indication that hiring people it feels are best able to handle its AI program have been hard to find or hire.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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