Today, the Peace Corps announced a new initiative, called Tech Corps, to “recruit, train and deploy skilled Americans to support the adoption of artificial intelligence in Peace Corps host countries participating in the American AI Exports Program.” The initiative was announced at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 by Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology.
According to acting Peace Corps Director Richard E. Swarttz, “By building technical capacity, supporting AI adoption across critical use cases, and addressing barriers to last-mile AI implementation, Tech Corps volunteers will leverage American AI to expand access to opportunity and prosperity.”
Tech Corps is the latest initiative of the Peace Corps. According to Swarttz, “If you are a STEM graduate or have a professional background in artificial intelligence and want to explore the world and work with partners to adopt the best of American AI for global impact, we want you to be a part of the Tech Corps initiative.”
Traditionally, Peace Corps Volunteers have served in countries around the world for 12-27-month in-person assignments. This year marks 65 years since the Peace Corps’ founding. Over the years, the agency’s work has evolved. In 1996, the agency initiated opportunities for Peace Corps Response Volunteers, who serve overseas on assignments that last 6-12 months. More recently, the Peace Corps initiated a Virtual Service Participants pilot, which calls for a 3-6 month assignment through which participants collaborate online for 5-15 hours a week with counterparts in a different country.
National Peace Corps Association (NPCA), a nonprofit organization separate from the agency that advocates for and serves the entire Peace Corps community, is keen to see how the Tech Corps initiative shapes up, while maintaining the value of service to partner countries.
NPCA President and CEO, Carla Brown said, “First and foremost, we want our community — Volunteers past and present — to know that it is our understanding that traditional Peace Corps Volunteer service opportunities will stay on course. Tech Corps is intended to serve as an additional opportunity.”
“As we have with changes at the agency in the past, NPCA will maintain close dialogue with the Peace Corps — monitoring progress, challenges, and impact. And we will continue to advocate for positive Volunteer experiences and meaningful country engagement that builds on decades of partnerships globally.”