AWS, Anthropic, OpenAI and Google race to deploy forward-deployed engineers
AWS, Anthropic, OpenAI and Google have all recently announced expansions of their forward-deployed engineer (FDE) programs, sending specialists to help customers realize AI benefits, according to CNBC and TechRadar. TechRadar reported that OpenAI is backing its FDE business with a $4 billion investment and AWS is footing a $1 billion bill, while Anthropic plans to train 10,000 specialist engineers by the end of 2027. Citing Lightcast research, it said US FDE job ads rose from about 200 in each of 2023 and 2024 to roughly 1,200 in 2025 and 7,300 in the first nine months of 2026 — a 6x year-over-year rise — with three of the top four advertisers being consultancies Deloitte, Accenture and KPMG, and Google the only tech firm.
The reports say model capability is no longer the binding limit; customers are struggling with legacy infrastructure and identifying real-world use cases, so AI developers are taking responsibility for deployment rather than just selling models.
This source provides an excerpt. Continue reading on the original site.
#AWS#Anthropic#OpenAI#Google#Deloitte#Accenture#KPMG#Lightcast