My company offers four AWS courses: Essentials, Developing on AWS, Architecting on AWS, and Agentic AI in AWS. Each course lasts two or three days. My architect suggested that modern AI assistants are already knowledgeable about AWS concepts and that I could learn what I need while working on projects. He does not oppose me taking the courses, but recommended researching whether another type of training might be more valuable first. Should I take all four courses, choose only some of them, or rely mostly on learning as I go with AI assistance?
4 Answers
AI can suggest workable solutions, but it is not a replacement for understanding the fundamentals. If you know the basics, you can judge whether an AI-generated design is sensible, secure, and cost-effective. Otherwise, you may end up accepting an answer simply because the tool produced it. At minimum, build a solid foundation before relying heavily on AI.
It depends on how you learn. Some people can teach themselves effectively through documentation, experimentation, and project work, while others benefit greatly from structured instruction. The courses may speed up your progress, especially if they include practical exercises, and AI can then help you fill in gaps as you go.
If the courses are free, I’d take them. Structured, hands-on classes can complement learning on the job and give you a useful foundation. You’ll still learn plenty by building real projects, since no short course can cover every situation.
AWS is useful enough that the training is unlikely to be wasted. I’d prioritize the foundational and architecture material first, then decide whether the development and AI-focused courses match your role. Since your architect did not identify a specific alternative, you probably do not need to delay these courses solely to search for something else.
There isn’t a particular alternative course my architect had in mind. He mainly encouraged me to research the options first so I would not overlook another useful area of training.