AWS Public Sector Blog
Coursera and AWS survey reveals how technology leaders navigate cloud and AI transformation
Technology leaders across multiple industries face a critical challenge in keeping pace with rapid innovation in cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. There’s a near-unanimous consensus that, over the next three years, AI-assisted codebases will be the norm. However, despite the growing focus on AI, cloud fluency remains foundational. In a joint survey conducted by Coursera and Amazon Web Services (AWS), 63% of respondents ranked cloud skills as their top training priority, compared with 47% who said the same for AI.
Coursera and AWS surveyed more than 750 technology executives across six countries to understand how organizations are balancing automation, human expertise, and infrastructure modernization as they prepare for an AI-driven future. The survey reveals a clear insight: As organizations move toward AI-driven operations, success begins with the cloud.
Identifying cloud skills as the foundation for AI transformation
Both organizations brought unique, complementary perspectives to the study. Coursera, whose cloud infrastructure runs on AWS, centers its mission on helping the 191 million global learners on the platform to adapt to emerging technologies and master the right skills they need to grow their careers. AWS offered insights from its experience helping customers modernize data, adopt generative AI, and scale secure architectures.
The study reveals how technology and learning leaders around the globe are adapting to cloud and AI transformation, and why foundational cloud skills remain a priority. “AI and cloud skills are complementary,” said Mustafa Furniturewala, chief technology officer (CTO) for Coursera. “That’s why this shows up as such a high priority when we talk to leaders.”
Building cloud foundations to power AI innovation
A key takeaway from the data is the distinct alignment between cloud and AI priorities over the next three years: 95% of leaders surveyed are investing in cloud transformation, and 91% are prioritizing generative AI. Most organizations don’t view these as separate initiatives; instead, they’re integrating them into their modernization efforts. This alignment makes sense, as AI applications rely on cloud-based infrastructure for scale, data accessibility, and security. “AI tends to become an even more powerful tool when you have those foundational skills,” said Furniturewala.
According to the study, 60% of leaders believe keeping pace with technological change is a key urgency driver. This explains why many organizations that are modernizing their legacy environments are simultaneously deploying AI pilots. The data shows how deeply cloud and AI transformation have become intertwined. “Technology leaders are still very focused on cloud and cyber,” said Marcelo Modica, Coursera’s chief people officer. “These disciplines work in tandem with AI innovations and show that humans still really matter.”
Augmenting human expertise with AI, not replacing it
As more organizations adopt AI, identifying which tasks are best suited for automation and which require human judgment has become a central organizational question. More than half (52%) of technology leaders expect 30-50% of existing workflows to be automated within the next few years. In software development, 86% anticipate that at least 20% of new code will be AI-generated.
AI-assisted tools are already changing the software lifecycle—how it gets built, tested, and delivered. Code migration, quality assurance, boilerplate generation, and code review are jobs many organizations are beginning to delegate to AI. But respondents were clear that automation should support, not replace, human creativity and oversight. “What makes the next three years so exciting and important is that by empowering people to learn these skills, it will create more time for strategic thinking and higher-order workflows,” said Furniturewala.
Investment in workforce skills is viewed as essential to AI advancement, with 88% of leaders emphasizing the need to develop talent alongside new technologies. Even in an AI-accelerated environment, organizations view people as irreplaceable. “We’re at an inflection point where things are changing very dramatically, but as the survey highlights, AI is not magically going to solve a problem,” said Modica. “You have to know how to apply it in the right way.”
To that end, traditional training models are giving way to more hands-on, experiential approaches. Technology teams are prioritizing real-world learning environments where employees can build new skills within the flow of work by using the same tools they rely on daily. “Instead of the old days, when you’d take an Excel class and then you’d figure out how to use it, now, learning is much more integrated,” said Modica. “You’re learning something, and you’re applying it straight away.”
How Coursera and AWS are enabling AI learning at scale
To help organizations build these capabilities, Coursera leverages AWS services, including Amazon Bedrock, to deliver and personalize learning experiences for global users in AI and cloud training. For example, Coursera’s AI-powered tutor, Coach, uses generative AI to provide learners with personalized support and feedback as they progress through courses. “Coach is not a one-size-fits-all product,” said Modica. “And personalized learning—at your own pace—I think is probably the most important thing moving forward.”
Both organizations and individuals can access a wide range of AWS-designed content directly on AWS and Coursera, including AWS Professional Certificates and GenAI Skills Tracks focused on applications across cloud architecture, data analytics, and model deployment. “These hands-on labs offer real-world projects allowing users to practice real-world workflows when they learn on Coursera,” noted Furniturewala.
By aligning training content with AWS best practices, Coursera is helping enterprises and public institutions prepare their workforce for the next phase of cloud and AI transformation.
From cloud foundations to AI-ready teams
As the pace of technology increases and AI becomes embedded across every function, fluency in AI will become a baseline requirement—and not just for technical roles. Some AI skills will be required for most modern roles in the coming years.
Survey respondents confirm that cloud transformation remains central to this shift, connecting teams, tools, and data seamlessly. With a strong foundation in cloud and cybersecurity, organizations can confidently and securely adopt new AI capabilities. As Furniturewala noted, “The cloud transformation enables your AI transformation to happen more easily.”
The survey also suggests that successful organizations will find enhanced performance and productivity as the leading benefit from investing in skills development. As team members are freed up to engage in higher-level, strategic thinking, they experience greater job satisfaction.
Investing in people and platforms for long-term success
The Coursera and AWS survey confirms that AI transformation succeeds only with skilled people supporting it. Automation provides efficiency, but human insight, creativity, and decision-making remain the cornerstone of innovation. Organizations investing in both advanced tools and ongoing learning will thrive in this new era.
To explore training options and build your team’s AI and cloud fluency, visit AWS today.