AWS Certified AI Practitioner vs. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

Opportunities for job-seekers with knowledge of cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) concepts are continually increasing. PwC’s 2024 survey found that 12 percent of companies—identified as “Top Performers”—are seeing strong returns from AI and cloud investments, while many within the 88 percent are starting to see early gains [1]. Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers various certification options for professionals who want to validate their AWS cloud or AI knowledge and skills. Among these offerings are the AWS Certified AI Practitioner and the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certifications, both of which are foundational options that serve as an entry point to AWS’s other credentials, spanning four levels: 

• Foundational level to validate fundamental AWS Cloud services concepts

• Associate level to demonstrate your skills and build credibility as an AWS professional

• Professional level to validate advanced skills in designing and building AWS services and automated processes

• Specialty level to establish credibility as an advisor in your specialty area

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

What is the difference between AWS Cloud Practitioner and AI Practitioner?

When comparing the two certification programs, consider the scope of the topics covered on the exam and, consequently, the skills your certification validates. The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam certifies your foundational knowledge of cloud concepts, such as cloud computing, cloud security and compliance, cloud technology, and cloud billing, support, and pricing. In contrast, the AWS Certified AI Practitioner exam focuses on AI, covering areas such as responsible AI practices and security, compliance, and governance. Both certifications are suitable for professionals working with AWS cloud services; however, the AWS AI Practitioner certification may be a better fit for individuals seeking AI and machine learning solutions, while the AWS Cloud Practitioner option is an excellent choice if you're interested in working with cloud computing. 

What is the AWS Certified AI Practitioner?

The AWS Certified AI Practitioner certification allows 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. 

With 92 percent of employers planning to integrate AI solutions into their business processes by 2028, many are willing to pay significantly more for workers with AI skills, offering salary increases in the following fields [2]: 

• Sales and marketing professionals: 43 percent higher 

• Finance: 42 percent higher 

• Business operations: 41 percent higher 

• Legal, regulatory, and compliance: 37 percent higher

• Human resources: 35 percent higher 

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. 

AWS Certified AI Practitioner exam details

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 [3]. 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?

This certification is suitable for professionals in various fields who can benefit from AWS machine learning, AI, or generative AI services and are familiar with the technologies but do not build AWS solutions. Professionals in areas such as sales, marketing, or business intelligence might take this exam, using their new knowledge to create and run ads or monitor performance metrics. Those training to become software developers, machine learning engineers, or systems engineers may also find this certification helpful for tasks such as building and developing new software solutions with AWS Cloud infrastructure.

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. 

What is the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner?

Earning the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification 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. 

Companies and organizations are increasingly adopting cloud computing solutions, partly driven by advancements in AI and machine learning capabilities. By 2027, you can expect 90 percent of companies to use cloud or hybrid cloud environments to support their business processes [4]. Globally, experts project that the market size for cloud AI will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 39.7 percent through 2030, with the cloud computing market growing at a compound annual growth rate of 20.4 percent during the same period [5, 6]. The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner can enhance your cloud literacy and facilitate your adaptation to cloud adoption in your industry. 

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam details

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 [7]. 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 Certified Cloud Practitioner exam may be a suitable choice for professionals working in fields such as sales or marketing who utilize AWS services. This includes project managers overseeing AWS Cloud projects and sales professionals selling AWS-based solutions. Additionally, you may be a good candidate for this exam if you’re pursuing a cloud career as a cloud data engineer, test engineer, or cloud security engineer, but do not have an IT background.

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. 

AWS Certified AI Practitioner vs. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

The AWS Certified AI Practitioner and AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certifications 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 main difference between the two certifications is that the AI Practitioner focuses on AI frameworks, concepts, and the associated AWS technologies, while the Cloud Practitioner offers an overview of AWS Cloud-based solutions and all other AWS services.

Prepare for AWS certification on Coursera

The AWS Certified AI Practitioner and AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certifications are both entry-level credentials that validate your knowledge and understanding of foundational AWS services. Explore programs on Coursera to prepare for AWS certification, learn more about AWS services, or gain access to training directly from AWS.

The AWS Cloud Technology Consultant Professional Certificate provides opportunities to learn about translating business goals and drivers into appropriate technical solutions; providing technical direction and oversight to cloud implementation teams; creating the conceptual, logical and physical design for cloud-based solutions for infrastructure and platforms; and gathering technical requirements, assessing client capabilities and analyzing findings to provide appropriate cloud solution recommendations.