The Peace Corps is launching an AI division, which will send US tech experts to the developing world
The United States is deploying a “Tech Corps” initiative to promote American artificial intelligence (AI) abroad.
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As part of the US’s Peace Corps, the tech division will embed volunteers with technical expertise to provide “last-mile” support for deploying AI applications in partner countries, the White House announced on Friday.
The Peace Corps is an independent US government agency which sends American volunteers abroad to support projects in education, health, agriculture, and economic growth
The tech initiative comes as China is gaining ground in global AI adoption. Reports indicate that the Chinese model DeepSeek is becoming the model of choice in much of the developing world, putting pressure on Washington to keep up.
Tech Corps missions will work directly with local institutions. They could help teachers integrate AI into their lesson plans, co-develop AI models with national health offices, or assist with refining and evaluating critical datasets for companies in the agricultural sector, according to the programme’s website.
The US is encouraging graduates from science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) programmes or individuals with a background in AI to apply for the programme.
Tech Corps volunteers will be deployed on missions lasting up to 27 months. While there, volunteers will receive housing, healthcare, a stipend and service awards. Deployments could start as early as this fall, the website says.
The volunteers would be sent to countries participating in the American AI Exports Program, an initiative announced last July.
It will support the export of the entire US tech stack, including hardware, data systems, AI models and cybersecurity measures to “specific target countries,” that the administration will identify, according to an executive order published at the time.
So far, no country has expressed a particular interest in joining the AI exports programme. However, William Kimmitt, the US’s under secretary of commerce and international trade, invited India to be a part of the programme on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit, according to the US’s International Trade Association.
Separately, ten countries, including the United Kingdom, have signed on to the US-led Pax Silica initiative, a non-binding agreement that will secure the global supply chain for AI technologies.
The European Union attended as an observer but did not sign, and the Netherlands is participating as a non-signing partner.
The United States announced other AI initiatives during the summit, including a National Champions Initiative that would integrate foreign AI companies into the US tech stack.
