In a significant move aimed at democratizing access to artificial intelligence (AI) education and addressing the global demand for AI talent, Amazon has launched the ‘AI Ready’ initiative. The commitment, spearheaded by Swami Sivasubramanian, Vice President of Data and AI at AWS, seeks to provide free AI skills training to 2 million individuals worldwide by the year 2025.

The ‘AI Ready’ initiative is a response to a recent study conducted by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in collaboration with research firm Access Partnership. The study highlighted the robust demand for AI talent globally and the potential for individuals with AI skills to earn significantly higher salaries, up to 47% more.

To achieve this ambitious goal, Amazon is rolling out three key initiatives:

1. Eight New and Free AI Courses: These courses span from foundational to advanced levels and are designed to cater to a diverse audience, including business leaders and technologists. Amazon’s commitment to eliminating financial barriers is evident as these courses are made available free of charge. These new courses complement the existing suite of 80+ free and low-cost AI courses and resources already offered by AWS.
2. AWS Generative AI Scholarship: Through this program, over 50,000 high school and university students globally will gain access to a new generative AI course on the Udacity platform. This scholarship initiative is a significant step in democratizing AI education and empowering the future generation of AI professionals.
3. Collaboration with Code.org: Amazon has partnered with Code.org to facilitate generative AI learning for students. This collaboration expands opportunities for students to delve into the realm of AI, fostering a deeper understanding of coding and AI concepts.

The urgency for an AI-proficient workforce is evident from the study’s findings:

• 73% of employers prioritize hiring talent with AI skills, yet three out of four struggle to meet their AI talent needs.
• Employers anticipate a substantial increase in salaries, up to 47%, for workers upskilled in AI.
• 93% of businesses anticipate integrating AI solutions across their organizations within the next five years.

To support professionals in meeting these demands, Amazon is introducing a comprehensive range of free AI and generative AI courses. These courses cover crucial topics such as prompt engineering, low-code machine learning, language models, and practical AI applications like Amazon Transcribe, equipping learners with essential skills for in-demand jobs.

Moreover, the AWS Generative AI Scholarship, valued at over $12 million, will provide 50,000 eligible high school and university students from underserved and underrepresented communities globally with access to the ‘Introducing Generative AI with AWS’ course on Udacity, offering hands-on experience and a valuable certificate upon completion.

In collaboration with Code.org, Amazon’s ‘Hour of Code Dance Party: AI Edition’ initiative aims to make learning about generative AI engaging and accessible for students. This initiative empowers students to create their virtual music videos while exploring the fundamentals of coding and AI concepts.

The ‘AI Ready’ commitment aligns seamlessly with Amazon’s broader investment in skills training, including AWS’s pledge to provide free cloud computing skills training to 29 million individuals by 2025. With a track record of already training over 21 million individuals, Amazon is playing a pivotal role in shaping the future workforce by equipping them with essential AI and cloud computing skills.