AWS’s $20 billion investment and new programs explained

The AI ​​revolution could be a huge opportunity for Australia, but a critical skills gap needs to be addressed if we are to realize this potential. Thirty-nine percent of businesses surveyed by AWS said a lack of relevant skills is preventing them from adopting or expanding the use of AI.

Hardie says AWS makes this adoption easier. “We are making these capabilities accessible to customers so organizations can start implementing today by focusing on appropriate guardrails, governance, transparency, and responsible scaling.”

AI Spring aims to deepen AI capabilities

AWS has launched the AI ​​Spring program to address the skills gap and help Australia unlock the full economic and productivity potential of AI. The initiative offers a range of programs to help businesses develop AI talent and accelerate and deepen AI adoption.

First, AWS’s global startup program, the AWS Generative AI Accelerator, helps entrepreneurs develop their own Next Generation AI systems and applications. In the three years the program has been running, five Australian startups (Leonardo AI, Contact Harald, Marqo, Relevance AI and Splash Music) have been selected.

This year, the 40 participating companies globally include two more Australian startups: Mary Technology, which uses AI to extract facts from documents for law firms, and Pluralis Research, which has developed a platform for open-source, decentralized AI model training.

Each startup participates in an eight-week program and receives up to $1 million in AWS credits.

“Australia is really punching above its weight when it comes to startups harnessing the power of AI,” says Hardie. An AWS study, Unlocking Australia’s AI Potential 2025It found that 81 per cent of Australian startups are already leveraging AI across their businesses, with 42 per cent developing new AI-focused products and services and 53 per cent using AI at the heart of their business operations.

AWS also offers AI Launchpad, a program aimed at larger businesses. This program helps organizations leverage AWS expertise, partner support, and dedicated funding to move Next Generation AI workloads from concept to production.

And this year, AWS started working on a new AI Spring program for schools, working with nonprofit education technology provider Code for Schools to help educate and prepare the workforce of tomorrow.

Together, they are developing and delivering an AI education program aligned with the Australian curriculum that will be available to K-12 students and teachers in Australia’s public, independent and Catholic schools, as well as parents and carers.

It starts in the first semester of next year, with the aim of reaching 1 million students in three years, helping improve artificial intelligence literacy and promoting the responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence. Training the next generation of artificial intelligence workers and moving the future forward starts here.

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