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The US federal government is accelerating AI adoption, but faces challenges including talent shortages, lack of trust, and budget issues. The Trump administration has made AI utilization a priority.

Current State of AI Adoption in the US Federal Government

Artificial intelligence (AI) adoption within the U.S. federal government has significantly accelerated over the past three years, yet it continues to face several bottlenecks. Key impediments include a shortage of talent and low public trust in AI systems. Three consecutive administrations have prioritized AI adoption, with the most recent Trump administration's AI Action Plan emphasizing AI's potential to 'deliver the highly responsive government the American people expect and deserve.' This report assesses the current state of AI adoption by analyzing AI use cases from 2023 to 2025, federal jobs data, and OMB memoranda.

Key Obstacles to AI Expansion

While the scope and pace of AI adoption have increased, AI use remains concentrated among a handful of large agencies. Workforce capacity constraints, a risk-averse culture, and challenges in procurement and funding are cited as factors slowing adoption efforts, alongside low public trust in AI systems. To bolster responsible AI adoption, the federal government needs to expand support for technical talent and AI literacy across agencies, and address structural barriers in procurement, regulation, and budgeting that hinder technology modernization more broadly.

*Source: Brookings (2026-04-15)*

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