Amazon recently announced plans to offer training and education on artificial intelligence (AI) for free to millions of people across the globe. The free training aims to address the growing need for an AI-savvy workforce, as cited in a recent study by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Access Partnership. The study found that a majority of employers consider hiring AI-skilled talent a priority, but are unable to find people qualified for the job.
The new initiative, called “AI Ready,” intends to provide free training and education on AI skills to 2 million people by 2025. The company plans to achieve this goal by launching new courses and learning initiatives in AI and scaling its existing free AI training programs.
Amazon also announced it is offering eight new, free courses to help people “upskill in AI and generative AI.” These courses range from foundational to advanced and target both business leaders and technologists. The company emphasized that the goal of the AI Ready initiative is to help level the playing field of AI education by removing cost as a barrier to accessing critical skills.
Additionally, Amazon is funding a new AWS Generative AI Scholarship program and collaborating with Code.org to provide learning opportunities for students to gain knowledge about generative AI. The tech giant is also offering AWS Cloud computing credits to Code.org to support an introductory coding and AI lesson.
While demand for AI jobs is increasing, experts have warned about the potential negative impact of AI on the labor market. Some studies have estimated that automation driven by AI could eliminate a significant number of existing positions, leading to potential job losses. Speaking at The Atlantic Festival, Mira Murati, the chief technology officer at OpenAI, also cautioned about the potential impact of AI on jobs and suggested the need to prepare for this new way of life.