WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Trump administration's effort to bring artificial intelligence expertise into the federal workforce has attracted far more interest than available positions, underscoring strong demand to work at the intersection of technology and government.

About 25,000 people have expressed interest in joining the administration's new Tech Force initiative, a senior official said. The programme aims to place engineers and other technology specialists into federal agencies as part of a broader push to modernise government operations using AI.

The list of interested candidates will be used to recruit software and data engineers, as well as other technical professionals, said Scott Kupor, director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, in a post on X. Reuters was unable to independently verify the 25,000 figure.

Applicants will compete for 1,000 spots in the first Tech Force cohort. Those selected will spend two years working on technology projects across federal agencies, including the Departments of Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs and Justice, among others, Kupor has said previously.

The hiring drive forms part of Donald Trump's broader AI agenda, which seeks to expand the government's capacity to develop and deploy advanced technologies. Previous administrations have launched similar efforts to attract private-sector tech talent into public service, including under former President Joe Biden.

The initiative stands out against the backdrop of Trump's early second-term focus on cutting government jobs, with exceptions carved out for roles deemed essential to maintaining "national security." Tech Force represents one of those exceptions, reflecting the administration's view that AI expertise is critical to federal operations.