Amazon to hire 11,000 software development interns and engineers in 2026

Amazon has announced plans to recruit 11,000 software development interns and early-career engineers in 2026, countering pessimistic forecasts regarding the impact of artificial intelligence on the profession.

Speaking at the "What's Next with AWS" event on Tuesday, AWS CEO Matt Garman stated that internal demand for developers is not merely holding steady but is actually "really accelerating."

Garman told attendees, "I can tell you we are hiring just as many software developers as we ever had inside of Amazon," asserting that the role is evolving rather than disappearing.

While Garman acknowledged that AI is reshaping the industry, he argued that the shift is one of skill requirements rather than a reduction in workforce.

He noted that "being an expert at being able to author a Java code snippet is going to be less valuable in the future than it was maybe a couple of years ago," with value moving toward system architecture and problem-solving.

This stance puts him at odds with figures such as Boris Cherny, creator of Anthropic’s Claude Code, who predicted in February that the "software engineer" job title would eventually be phased out.

This recruitment drive occurs alongside a broader restructuring that saw Amazon reduce its corporate headcount by approximately 16,000 employees earlier this year.

However, a company spokesperson informed Business Insider that the target of 11,000 hires remains consistent with previous years, describing the programme as a "critical path to discover the next generation of leaders."

By maintaining its investment in junior talent, Amazon signals a belief that human oversight remains an essential asset in an increasingly automated landscape.