Amazon has launched a vast AI education program, “AI Ready,” to combat the AI talent shortage.
This initiative will provide free training in AI skills to 2 million people worldwide by 2025.
A study conducted by Amazon Web Services and Access Partnership found that 73% of employers are prioritizing hiring AI-skilled talent, but three-quarters can’t seem to fulfill their AI talent needs.
Amazon plans to offer eight free AI and generative AI courses, supplemented with scholarships for more than 50,000 high school and university students. The program includes collaborations with other organizations like Code.org.
The hype surrounding generative AI has ignited a tremendous battle for talent. Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Meta, and many others are vying for the very best in the industry, offering insane salaries in the process.
Amazon’s study further suggests that workers who upskill in AI could potentially earn up to 47% more, reflecting the high demand for and value placed on AI expertise in the current job market.
The initiative is a strategic move for Amazon, not only in terms of addressing the talent shortage but also in promoting its own AI technologies. The courses cover numerous topics in tech, machine learning, and AI, from AI project management to using Amazon’s AI products like CodeWhisperer and the Bedrock AI app maker.
By making these resources accessible on platforms like the AWS Educate and AWS Skill Builder sites, Amazon is positioning itself as a key player in the AI education landscape. It’s a tactic Microsoft has pursued for decades.
What Amazon’s initiative proposes
Here’s a summary of Amazon’s goals for the AI Ready program:
- Initiative and goals: Amazon intends to deliver free AI skills training to 2 million people globally by 2025. This aims to democratize AI education.
- Addressing the AI talent gap: Amazon’s study highlights that 73% of employers prioritize hiring AI-skilled talent, but three-quarters face challenges in fulfilling this need. Additionally, Amazon says AI training could boost salaries by 47% for those with AI skills. C
- Courses for students: ourses served on Udacity aim to reach over 50,000 high school and university students, focusing on those from underserved and underrepresented communities.
- Generative AI Scholarships and Course Diversity: AWS is also committing over $12 million in generative AI scholarships.
Earlier in November, Microsoft also unveiled similar efforts to train some 6 million people in AI to drive business adoption.
Currently, AI remains too expensive and largely inaccessible for widespread business adoption. These strategies aim to break down those barriers.
