Amazon's Cloud Division to Automate Consulting Work, Signaling Industry Shift

Amazon Web Services is preparing to replace large parts of its own professional services workforce with artificial intelligence. Internal plans, first reported by Business Insider, show the cloud giant aims to automate significant consulting work by 2026, a move expected to reshape the enterprise tech services sector.

AWS ProServe, a unit employing thousands of consultants who help major companies migrate to the cloud, has long been a labor-intensive gateway to Amazon's lucrative cloud platform. Now, the company is building AI tools to handle tasks like code analysis, migration planning, and system optimization—work currently done by highly paid engineers. The goal is to slash the time and cost of moving clients to AWS, sharpening its edge against Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

This shift presents immediate questions for the ProServe workforce. While AWS has not announced layoffs, internal documents anticipate needing far fewer consultants as AI assumes routine duties. Some employees may transition to managing AI systems or tackling complex client problems; others may be displaced.

The implications ripple outward. A vast network of partner firms that built businesses on AWS consulting work may see revenues decline as Amazon automates common tasks. For corporate clients, the promise is cheaper, faster cloud adoption, though some risk remains. Automated tools might falter with legacy systems or complex, unique IT environments, where human oversight is still vital.

Amazon's move reflects a broader industry reckoning. From Accenture to IBM, professional services firms are investing in AI to automate their own billable work. AWS, however, is uniquely positioned to disrupt the model from within, using automation to fuel its core platform's growth even if it cannibalizes a consulting unit. The company's direction is clear: in the race for cloud dominance, AI is becoming the primary consultant.