Anthropic announced a $100 million investment earlier this month to train engineers from other companies as Frontier Deployed Engineers (FDEs), aiming to prepare them to use Claude tools at their workplaces. The company hopes to train 10,000 people by the end of 2027. Participants attend four-day on-site intensives, then complete 12-week residencies at their own companies while working with Claude tools. Engineers from other firms have already begun applying.

Anthropic executives Shambhavi Shambhavi, head of go-to-market strategy and operations for partnerships, and Steve Corfield, head of global business development and partnerships, described five attributes they seek: familiarity with agentic AI systems, problem-solving ability, strong communication, engineering experience and skill, and curiosity. Shambhavi said communication matters when companies redesign workflows around agentic AI because engineers must navigate interpersonal dynamics. Anthropic says its own FDEs work on these challenges and that it wants to bring their approach to customers, partners and engineers.

The first cohorts have started in New York and San Francisco, with engineers from Accenture, Bain, Novo Nordisk and other organizations. Companies nominate candidates, whom Anthropic interviews. Accepted participants build and deploy an agentic system in a simulated environment during the four-day residency, take a practical test, then return to their employers and stay in touch with Anthropic mentors for 12 more weeks. The company is still developing assessments focused on articulation, problem-solving and coding skills.

Corfield said corporate customers wanted training to deploy Claude more effectively and identified a skills gap, rather than a lack of motivation, as the obstacle. He said Anthropic aims to fill that gap. The initiative comes as FDE job postings have grown over the past couple of years and as companies buy AI software and seek help deploying it. Anthropic executives also said customers feel pressure to change their work as AI capabilities expand and competitors gain market share. Corfield hopes the program, alongside Anthropic's other AI teaching initiatives, will set a "gold standard" for AI skills. Salesforce announced in May a plan to recruit 1,000 early-career workers for AI builder roles.

Anthropic announced a $100 million investment earlier this month to train engineers from other companies as Frontier Deployed Engineers (FDEs), aiming to prepare them to use Claude tools at their workplaces. The company hopes to train 10,000 people by the end of 2027. Participants attend four-day on-site intensives, then complete 12-week residencies at their own companies while working with Claude tools. Engineers from other firms have already begun applying.

Anthropic executives Shambhavi Shambhavi, head of go-to-market strategy and operations for partnerships, and Steve Corfield, head of global business development and partnerships, described five attributes they seek: familiarity with agentic AI systems, problem-solving ability, strong communication, engineering experience and skill, and curiosity. Shambhavi said communication matters when companies redesign workflows around agentic AI because engineers must navigate interpersonal dynamics. Anthropic says its own FDEs work on these challenges and that it wants to bring their approach to customers, partners and engineers.

The first cohorts have started in New York and San Francisco, with engineers from Accenture, Bain, Novo Nordisk and other organizations. Companies nominate candidates, whom Anthropic interviews. Accepted participants build and deploy an agentic system in a simulated environment during the four-day residency, take a practical test, then return to their employers and stay in touch with Anthropic mentors for 12 more weeks. The company is still developing assessments focused on articulation, problem-solving and coding skills.

Corfield said corporate customers wanted training to deploy Claude more effectively and identified a skills gap, rather than a lack of motivation, as the obstacle. He said Anthropic aims to fill that gap. The initiative comes as FDE job postings have grown over the past couple of years and as companies buy AI software and seek help deploying it. Anthropic executives also said customers feel pressure to change their work as AI capabilities expand and competitors gain market share. Corfield hopes the program, alongside Anthropic's other AI teaching initiatives, will set a "gold standard" for AI skills. Salesforce announced in May a plan to recruit 1,000 early-career workers for AI builder roles.