AWS Certified AI Practitioner vs. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

Key takeaways

Both AI practitioners and cloud practitioners oversee the implementation of key technologies—AI or cloud infrastructure—for an organization.

• AWS Certified AI Practitioner and AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner are two certifications offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS).

• AWS certification validates your knowledge of either artificial intelligence (AI) or cloud computing.

• An AWS certification can be a valuable credential to add to your resume, helping you stand out from other applicants in a competitive market.

Learn more about the AWS Certified AI Practitioner and AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exams, and how certification can highlight your understanding of these in-demand technologies. 

AI practitioner vs. cloud practitioner: What's the difference?

AI practitioners and cloud practitioners are strategic technology professionals who either work with artificial intelligence (AI) or cloud computing. These roles are responsible for:

• Making implementation decisions: They evaluate, select, and architect solutions

• Leading technology adoption: They guide organizations through digital transformation

• Designing and optimizing systems: They don't just use existing tools, they create and customize solutions

• Driving business outcomes: They translate technical capabilities into business value

AWS certification for AI practitioners and cloud practitioners

If you're seeking to validate your AI or cloud computing knowledge, earning an AWS certification in one of these areas can be a valuable investment. AWS Certified AI Practitioner and AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner are foundational-level AWS credentials with no prerequisites in terms of experience or education. Both exams follow similar formats and serve as a starting point for pursuing additional AWS certifications. 

The AWS Certified AI Practitioner exam validates your knowledge of AI, machine learning, and generative AI, covering areas such as responsible AI practices and security, compliance, and governance.

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam validates your foundational knowledge of cloud concepts, such as cloud computing, cloud security and compliance, cloud technology, and cloud billing, support, and pricing.

AWS Certified AI Practitioner overview

The AWS Certified AI Practitioner exam asks you to demonstrate a foundational knowledge of machine learning, AI, and generative AI, as well as a practical understanding of AWS services. This certification can benefit professionals in roles, such as in sales and marketing, who may use AI and machine learning AWS products but don’t build or deploy AWS solutions. 

Acquiring the Certified AI Practitioner credential validates your overall understanding of AI and machine learning technologies and demonstrates to employers that you understand the general concepts and uses of AI and machine learning independent of any specific role. 

What's on the AWS Certified AI Practitioner exam?

The AWS Certified AI Practitioner exam is a 65-question exam you can take at a Pearson VUE testing center or through an online proctored exam format. You have up to 90 minutes to complete the exam, which costs $100 [1]. The exam covers key topics related to machine learning, AI, and generative AI, including the following areas of knowledge: 

• Foundational concepts and strategies for implementation on AWS 

• Responsible use of solutions across various contexts

• Appropriate selection of technologies for specific use cases

Who should take the exam?

The AWS Certified AI Practitioner exam is designed for professionals who need to understand artificial intelligence and machine learning concepts within the AWS ecosystem, including:

Business and strategic professionals:

• Business analysts evaluating AI solutions and their potential impact on business processes

• Product managers overseeing AI-powered features or products who need to understand technical capabilities and limitations

• Project managers leading AI implementation initiatives who need foundational knowledge to coordinate technical teams

• Sales professionals selling AI-based solutions who require credible knowledge of AI concepts and AWS AI services

Technical professionals expanding into AI:

• Software developers looking to integrate AI/ML capabilities into applications

• System administrators and cloud engineers who need to support AI/ML workloads

• Data professionals transitioning into machine learning roles

• Solution architects designing systems that incorporate AI services

This certification focuses on understanding AI/ML concepts, AWS AI services, and responsible AI practices rather than hands-on model development. While valuable for career development, specialized roles like machine learning engineer or AI researcher typically require additional technical certifications, programming skills, and hands-on experience with model training and deployment.

What to take after AWS AI Practitioner?

After completing the AWS AI Practitioner exam, you may want to pursue higher associate-level AWS certifications, such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect, AWS Certified Data Engineer, or AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer. The certification you choose should align with your career goals and skills.

AWS offers several role-based certification paths to help you identify the most appropriate credentials for your career. For example, if you want to work in a machine learning role, such as prompt engineering or machine learning engineering, you may want to pursue the AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer Associate certification. Conversely, if you are considering a role in architecture, such as solutions architect or applications architect, you may opt for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate certification. 

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner overview

Taking the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam can provide a foundational overview of AWS services and help you validate your overall knowledge of the AWS Cloud. The certification is suitable for professionals without an information technology background who seek to understand the foundations of AWS Cloud. It may also be a good option for those who plan to continue their cloud certification path toward higher-level AWS-related roles. 

What's on the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam?

The exam for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification follows the same format as the AI practitioner exam, with 65 questions and a 90-minute completion window. You can choose to take the exam at a Pearson Vue testing center or through an online proctored exam format. The cost is also the same at $100 [2]. Exam topics include: 

• The value of AWS Cloud 

• Strategies for cloud adoption

• Best practices for cloud security 

• The value of the cloud economy, including cost savings and licensing strategies

• The AWS global infrastructure

Who should take the exam?

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam is designed for professionals who need foundational cloud knowledge, including:

Business and non-technical professionals:

• Project managers overseeing AWS cloud initiatives who need to understand cloud concepts and terminology

• Sales professionals selling AWS-based solutions who require foundational knowledge to effectively communicate with technical teams and customers

• Marketing professionals developing campaigns for cloud-based products or services

• Executive stakeholders involved in cloud adoption decisions

Career changers and students:

• Professionals transitioning into cloud careers who need to establish foundational knowledge before pursuing technical specializations

• Students and recent graduates building their first cloud credential

• IT professionals expanding into cloud technologies from traditional infrastructure backgrounds

While this certification provides excellent foundational knowledge, specialized technical roles like cloud data engineer, cloud security engineer, or test engineer typically require additional hands-on experience and Associate or Professional-level AWS certifications. The Cloud Practitioner serves as a valuable starting point for these career paths, not a direct qualification for technical positions.

What is the next certification after AWS Cloud Practitioner?

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification is a foundational credential that serves as a starting point for other AWS certifications. Explore the role-based learning path to decide which associate-level certification may be best for your next career move. 

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