OPM says it has issued generative AI guidance, competency model for AI roles required by Biden order

Guidance on generative AI and a competency model for AI roles are among the latest actions that the Office of Personnel Management has completed under President Joe Biden’s executive order on the technology, an agency spokesperson said.

In a statement provided to FedScoop, OPM disclosed it has issued guidance on use of generative AI tools for the federal workforce; issued a competency model and skills-based hiring guidance for AI positions to help agencies find people with the skills needed for those roles; issued an AI competency model specifically for civil engineering, and established an interagency working group for AI. 

All of those actions were among those the agency was required to complete at the 180-day mark of the October executive order, which would have been over the weekend. 

OPM was given multiple actions under the sweeping order, most of which were aimed at helping agencies attract and retain a federal workforce prepared to address AI. That role is important as the government is working to rapidly hire for 100 AI positions by this summer. The latest actions from OPM give federal agencies a better roadmap for hiring workers in those positions.

They also add to OPM’s existing work under the order, which has included authorizing direct hire authority for AI-related positions and outlining incentives for attracting and retaining AI workers in the federal government. 

Notably, OPM’s action on the responsible use of generative AI comes as agencies across the government have been developing their own unique approaches to those tools for their workforces. Those policies have ranged from banning the use of certain third-party tools to allowing use across the workforce with guidelines. 

A copy of that guidance was not immediately provided to FedScoop, but the statement described the aim of the guidance as supporting “federal employees to learn about GenAI’s potential benefits and risks, explore best practices for safely, securely, and responsibly using GenAI in your work, and find ways to learn more about GenAI.”

Under the order, OPM was required to create that guidance in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget. 

In addition to the competency models and guidance, the OPM spokesperson also disclosed that it issued an AI classification policy and talent acquisition guidance. While those actions support the rest of OPM’s work, they weren’t required by Biden’s executive order. The spokesperson described those as addressing “position classification, job evaluation, qualifications, and assessments for AI positions.”