TLDR: Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced a new professional-level certification, the AWS Certified Generative AI Developer – Professional, marking a significant expansion of its AI certification offerings. Concurrently, AWS is updating its security exams and introducing Amazon Bedrock Guardrails to bolster the security of generative AI applications against encoding-based attacks. The existing Machine Learning – Specialty certification is slated for retirement by March 31, 2026.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is making significant strides in its artificial intelligence and cloud security training programs with the introduction of a new professional-level certification and updates to its existing security exams. The centerpiece of these announcements is the AWS Certified Generative AI Developer – Professional certification, which is being hailed as the industry’s first professional-level generative AI credential. This new certification aims to validate a developer’s comprehensive capabilities in building, deploying, and securing generative AI solutions on the AWS platform.
The beta exam for the AWS Certified Generative AI Developer – Professional is scheduled to open for registration on November 18, 2025. This certification is designed to cover the full end-to-end lifecycle of generative AI applications, including building pipelines, versioning, monitoring, data security, and governance. It addresses a growing industry demand for structured pathways to acquire and demonstrate expertise in deploying generative AI solutions in production environments.
In addition to the new AI certification, AWS is also updating its security exams. This move aligns with a broader industry trend where major tech companies like Microsoft and Google are also rolling out new AI certification tracks to meet the escalating demand for skills in Generative AI, MLOps, and AI security.
A key security enhancement accompanying these updates is the introduction of Amazon Bedrock Guardrails. These guardrails are designed to protect generative AI applications from encoding-based attacks, ensuring a more secure and reliable deployment of AI technologies. [cite:news_summary]
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As part of this evolution in its certification portfolio, AWS will be retiring the long-standing Machine Learning – Specialty certification. The last day to take this exam will be March 31, 2026. This strategic shift indicates AWS’s focus on the next generation of AI skills, guiding professionals towards a pathway that includes AI foundational certifications, data engineering, machine learning associate certifications, and ultimately, the new generative AI professional certification.
