Amazon Launches 'AI Ready' Initiative: Free Courses to Expand Global AI Talent

Amazon is stepping up its commitment to AI education with the introduction of the 'AI Ready' program, aimed at bolstering the global AI talent pool. Recognizing the growing demand for AI skills, Amazon's initiative seeks to provide free generative AI training to two million individuals by 2025. This ambitious goal underscores the company's dedication to democratizing AI education and addressing the current shortage of AI expertise in the workforce.

The 'AI Ready' program comprises eight free courses, accessible through Amazon's learning platform. These courses are designed to cater to a broad range of learners, from beginners to advanced users, and are not limited to Amazon employees. The curriculum includes training in generative AI technologies, like those powering ChatGPT and other language models. Amazon is distinctly positioning these courses to appeal to both technical and non-technical audiences, with three courses tailored for business and non-tech roles and five for developers and technical professionals.

In a significant move towards inclusivity, Amazon is also offering over $12 million in Udacity scholarships to 50,000 high school and university students from underrepresented communities. This initiative aligns with the company's goal to level the playing field in AI education and empower diverse talent to engage with AI technologies.

The launch of 'AI Ready' comes at a crucial time when the AI field is rapidly expanding but faces a talent crunch. Amazon's VP of data and AI, Swami Sivasubramanian, emphasized the necessity of making AI education accessible to all, underscoring the program's potential in tackling complex global challenges. With 73 percent of employers prioritizing AI-skilled hiring, Amazon's initiative not only aids its own workforce but also its customers and AWS clients, offering skills like prompt engineering and leveraging Amazon's AI platforms such as Bedrock AI and CodeWhisperer.