Inside Booz Allen's AI Talent Strategy and Workforce

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the next great technological revolution and the most transformative technology since electricity. However, building an AI workforce is often easier said than done. Organizations face a talent shortage exacerbated by a war for existing talent, constant change in this evolving area, and incomplete or non-existent people and IT infrastructure to support an AI workforce.

Amid all these challenges, Booz Allen has flourished. Building upon decades of expertise in this area, the firm is now the largest sole provider of AI services to the U.S. federal government. In 2023, the firm grew its AI workforce by 20%.

What’s the secret to Booz Allen’s success, and what tips can organizations and individual employees apply in their AI journey? Vice President Joe Rohner offers his insights in the following Q&A.

Fortunately, Booz Allen saw AI as an emerging technology long ago, so we were able to start building our AI workforce before the recent AI boom. Our journey really started in the early 2010s when we centralized a team around what was termed “data science” at the time. This team has grown and scaled across the firm as data science created more access to useable data to enable AI outcomes and solutions. This wealth of historical knowledge enables us to apply our AI skills to multiple sectors, from healthcare to defense.

We currently have around 700 AI employees centralized in our Chief Technology Office focused on AI research and emerging technologies that are part of an AI and data workforce of more than 4,000 supporting our clients' missions. These employees are primarily focused on the following areas:

• AI strategy and adoption
• AI engineering and integration
• Model development
• Quantum sciences
• Responsible AI

For our clients, we provide comprehensive support around AI adoption and implementation—because AI isn’t just about a statistical model or implementing a new tool. It starts with figuring out why your organization wants to use AI—what is their problem to solve? What is the desired AI outcome? Then it involves listening, understanding the environment, and making AI work for you—with the right infrastructure, techniques, and data policies—in the real world.

Data indicates that the technology gap between the private and public sectors is already widening due to a lack of skilled workers to meet demands and a 22% pay disparity between private and federal employees—despite the federal government's efforts to modernize, partner with industry, and take advantage of emerging technology like AI. 

In a fast-moving area like AI, you need to get the people with the right skills into the right roles—quickly. But there is a very real ecosystem and foundation that need to be laid and fostered to recruit, support, and retain AI staff.

At Booz Allen, this ecosystem starts with our AI talent footprint. We use tools like digital employee profiles to proactively map current talent against future needs.

And we’re always looking ahead. We’re partnering with organizations such as aiEDU and The Mark Cuban Foundation to help educators incorporate AI into their curriculums and students as young as kindergarteners equip themselves with the AI skills they’ll need for the future.

Another important part of our AI ecosystem is making the most of the incredible talent that’s already on board. So, we have a continually growing array of programs for reskilling and upskilling.                                        

Even before joining the firm, recruitment candidates can tap into our Tech Excellence Program, which allows them to join cohorts with experts in areas like AI and machine learning to prepare for technical roles. This program is meant for people at any stage in their careers.

Current employees may take advantage of our Technical Experience Groups (TXG), which connect employees according to shared interests and skill sets.

Our digital badging program gives all employees access to a wide range of courses. They’re tailored to many different AI readiness levels, and once employees complete this training, they can post their badges on their digital profiles. This shows leaders across the firm who are looking for AI talent how these employees can contribute. Booz Allen is making AI training available to its entire workforce to make everyone AI-ready and offer specialized AI trainings for our AI engineers and consultants.

As AI continues to accelerate, we anticipate our AI workforce, and general interest in AI, to grow in tandem. We would love for every Booz Allen employee to be AI-ready and have the technical skills to understand AI, interact with it on a basic level, and grasp how AI fits into the client’s mission.

With any new technology, particularly a transformative one like AI, change management and adoption can be challenging. But Booz Allen is leading the industry in the federal space, so the firm is ahead of the game in terms of helping employees see AI’s value—for Booz Allen, for their own careers, and for the future of our country.

As we witness the next great technological revolution, it is crucial that tomorrow’s workforce grows alongside AI’s evolving capabilities, ensuring AI is developed and operated with diverse perspectives and according to the highest ethical and responsible standards.