OPM issues final rule requiring AI literacy training for all federal employees at GS-13 level and above, covering AI capabilities, limitations, responsible use policies, and procurement implications.
The Office of Personnel Management issued a final rule on March 24, 2026, amending the Federal Employees Training Act regulations to require AI literacy training for all federal employees at the GS-13 level and above — approximately 340,000 federal workers across all agencies.
The rule defines AI literacy as understanding AI system capabilities and limitations, identifying appropriate and inappropriate use cases, applying agency-specific AI use policies, evaluating AI-generated outputs for accuracy and bias, and understanding procurement and oversight responsibilities.
Agencies must ensure all covered employees complete a minimum 8-hour AI literacy program by July 1, 2027. The program must include practical exercises with AI tools used or being considered at the employee's agency.
OPM developed the rule in response to a 2024 Government Operations Committee hearing where multiple agency officials admitted they could not assess whether AI systems proposed by contractors were fit for their intended federal purposes.
GovAcademy's AI Prompting for Civil Service course (GA-029) is specifically aligned to the OPM rule's AI literacy definition, providing the 8-hour foundational program required by the rule. The course is available for agency-wide licensing with completion certificates accepted for OPM compliance reporting.
For employees with acquisition responsibilities, OPM recommends supplementing the foundational AI literacy requirement with additional training on AI procurement and governance. GovAcademy's AI Risk Register (GA-040) and AI Ethics in Public Procurement (GA-007) are cited in the rule's preamble as suitable supplementary training.
Several large agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency have already secured enterprise licenses for GovAcademy's AI catalog in anticipation of the OPM rule.