The DeepRacer league, developed by Amazon Web Services, is designed to teach a branch of artificial intelligence known as reinforcement learning. Amazon Web Services (AWS) has developed the DeepRacer League, a competition designed to teach a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) known as reinforcement learning, in which algorithms learn the correct way to perform an action based on trial and error, and observations. As part of the DeepRacer League, teams or individuals build and train AI algorithms using Amazon SageMaker software, then deploy them to self-driving model cars measuring about 10 inches long, which they race around a track roughly 17 feet by 26 feet. Morningstar is one of the companies participating in the DeepRacer League, and thanks to the training, the company expects to have dozens of projects based on reinforcement learning and other machine learning techniques in deployment by the end of next year. AWS developed the DeepRacer program in an effort to teach software developers about machine learning in a more engaging way than reading scientific articles.

Anyone with an Amazon Web Services account can participate in the league. Teams or individuals can compete online in "virtual" races or in person at events world-wide. Teams build and train AI algorithms using Amazon SageMaker software, deploy them to self-driving cars measuring about 10 inches, then race them around a track of roughly 17 feet by 26 feet. "It's actually having practical applications," said James Rhodes, chief technology officer of investment research firm Morningstar. Thanks to the training, the company expects to have dozens of projects based on reinforcement learning and other machine-learning techniques in deployment by the end of 2020, he said.