Amazon’s ‘AI Ready’ Initiative Offering Free AI Courses

Last Updated on November 22, 2023 by SPN Editor

Amazon has launched a series of free AI courses designed for both technical and non-technical audiences. These educational offerings aim to equip adults and young learners with essential skills in generative AI. Named “AI Ready,” this initiative extends Amazon’s existing Amazon Web Services (AWS)-based AI training programs, now encompassing eight complimentary courses covering AI project management and development.

The company reports that millions have already trained in AWS cloud computing skills through its existing programs and aims to reach two million participants in its AI courses by 2025. Amazon emphasizes the growing demand for AI talent, noting that companies are increasingly willing to offer higher salaries to individuals equipped with these skills.

While the courses aim to meet the rising demand for AI-related jobs, they also serve as a platform to promote Amazon’s AI products. The free AI courses cover a range of topics, including foundational knowledge of generative AI, project planning around AI, and guidance on using Amazon’s CodeWhisperer AI code generator. Other modules focus on AWS machine learning, language models, and the Bedrock AI app maker, intending to position Amazon’s AI technologies within the sphere of major players like Microsoft/OpenAI and Google.

Access to these courses is available through the AWS Skill Builder site. You can sign in using your AWS account or your consumer Amazon account.

Upon completion of certain Amazon’s free AI courses, you have the opportunity to obtain a certificate. For instance, achieving the AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty certification validates your proficiency in constructing, training, fine-tuning, and deploying machine learning (ML) models on AWS. This certification targets individuals engaged in development or data science roles with over a year of experience in developing, architecting, or managing machine learning/deep learning workloads in the AWS Cloud.

To obtain this certification, you must successfully pass the AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty exam (MLS-C01). The exam incorporates a blend of multiple-choice and multiple-response question formats1. Further details, including the exam content outline and the passing score, are outlined in the exam guide.

Free AI courses offered by Amazon

For Developers and Technical Learners:

AWS DeepRacer: An interactive learning lab for hands-on experience.
Amazon’s Machine Learning University: A comprehensive resource for in-depth learning.
Amazon CodeWhisperer – Getting Started: A self-paced course introducing learners to Amazon CodeWhisperer, an AI coding companion aiding developers in boosting productivity.

For Non-Technical Learners:

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: A concise introductory course explaining the significance of AI, its relationship with machine learning and deep learning.
Introduction to Machine Learning – Art of the Possible: A quick, informative course outlining the basics of machine learning and guiding the assessment of its benefits and risks across various business scenarios.
These free AI courses are structured to facilitate your comprehension, implementation, and initial use of AI. They vary from concise on-demand videos to hands-on challenges in a secure AWS environment.

How to Join the Free AI Courses?

In order to gain access to Amazon Web Services (AWS) start with a few simple steps, ensuring a seamless onboarding process. By visiting the AWS home page, users embark on their journey by selecting “Create an AWS Account.”

From there, inputting accurate account information, particularly the email address, is crucial before advancing. Users then face the choice between a Personal or Professional account, each offering the same functionalities with varying information requirements.

The next phase involves furnishing company or personal details as per AWS specifications and accepting the AWS Customer Agreement. Subsequently, confirming the account creation and awaiting the readiness notification via email is essential.

Selecting an AWS Support plan is another critical step, culminating in a confirmation page signifying the account activation process, typically taking minutes but occasionally extending to 24 hours. An email notification follows when the account activation concludes, granting users unrestricted access to the comprehensive suite of AWS services.

Amazon‘s free AI courses come with specific prerequisites to ensure a smooth learning experience. To enroll in the Machine Learning University (MLU), it’s essential for all users to create an AWS account. Moreover, having a basic understanding and familiarity with Python is recommended to maximize the benefits of the course content. For those unfamiliar with Python, Amazon offers additional learning resources for introductory tutorials to bridge the gap.

There are also some courses which are not free. In the case of the AWS AI & ML Scholarship Program in partnership with Udacity, scholarship applicants must fulfill certain prerequisites to gain free access to the “Introducing Generative AI with AWS” course. These prerequisites serve as foundational knowledge, enabling learners to comprehend and effectively engage with the course material.