Amazon has announced its participation in the White House’s Pledge to America’s Youth, outlining a series of commitments aimed at expanding artificial intelligence (AI) education and training across the United States. The company made the announcement during a White House event attended by leaders from education, technology, and government sectors.
By 2028, Amazon plans to support AI skills training for 4 million learners in the U.S. and enable AI curricula for 10,000 educators. The company will also provide up to $30 million in promotional credits through Amazon Web Services (AWS) to help eligible organizations use cloud and AI technologies for educational purposes. Additionally, Amazon is supporting the Presidential AI Challenge with up to $200,000 in AWS credits and $1.5 million in cash prizes.
Amazon stated: "We’ll achieve these goals both via our direct offerings and our partnership with a range of organizations that work with students of all ages."
The company's digital learning centers, operated by AWS, offer over 135 free and low-cost courses on AI and machine learning through platforms like AWS Educate and AWS Skill Builder. Originally developed for internal training at Amazon, Machine Learning University now serves as a professional development resource for educators in higher education. It allows integration of open-source content into curricula using AWS services such as Amazon SageMaker and Amazon Bedrock.
Another initiative highlighted is the AWS Academy program. According to Amazon: "Through the AWS Academy, educators have access to new generative AI curriculum, empowering them to quickly teach students the latest concepts in this emerging technology." The program provides higher education institutions with free cloud computing and AI curriculum designed to prepare students for industry-recognized certifications.
The $30 million commitment in AWS promotional credits is part of a global effort by AWS aimed at helping organizations build digital solutions powered by AI. This funding supports projects like chatbots, teaching assistants, and lesson plan generators that seek to improve access to education.
Amazon's philanthropic arm, Amazon Future Engineer (AFE), continues its mission to increase student access to computer science education and AI through project-based modules. To date, AFE has supported more than 2.1 million students who have received over 17 million hours of computer science instruction.
"AFE Career Tours bring role models directly to classrooms," an Amazon spokesperson said, "helping students explore computer science and AI applications through real-world experiences."
The company aims for these initiatives not only to boost individual skills but also address broader workforce needs as demand grows for expertise in artificial intelligence fields.