Best AI Courses: Pathway to Becoming an AI Engineer

Gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to become an AI engineer. Discover the latest AI courses and prices to start your AI career.

There is no debate that AI will change the world. Even more so than it already is. Since AI entered the mainstream, the opportunities for businesses and IT professionals have been rising fast. 

Because of this, top AI courses are growing fast. More people than ever are looking to take them to become AI engineers. In fact, according to the Wall Street Journal, new AI job listings are up 42% compared with December 2022.   

Hence, there is a need to identify the best artificial intelligence courses that people can use to learn this new and exciting field. Moreover, besides getting the knowledge for personal use, people can also leverage these certifications to make a career out of it. 

Understanding the AI Landscape

Before diving into the best AI courses online free or paid, let's understand what is artificial intelligence. AI involves creating algorithms. They enable machines to do tasks needing human intelligence. This includes learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and understanding language. Moreover, grasping the types of AI is the first step towards mastering it. The need for AI is so immense that the market size of the technology is expected to reach around $594 billion by 2032 in the US market alone (Source: Precedence Research).

Types of AI

Type 1 

Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI)

Artificial Narrow Intelligence, or ANI, is the most common type of AI we use every day. Known as weak AI, ANI systems are built to do just one job or a few jobs. They help recommend movies. This type if AI model also recognize your voice on your phone. It power search engines. While ANI is very good at what it does, it can't think, understand, or learn beyond its specific tasks. Despite this, ANI plays a big role in automating tasks and providing insights in many fields.

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)

Artificial General Intelligence, or AGI, is a step up from ANI. Sometimes called strong AI, AGI can think, learn, and work across various tasks like a human. An AGI system could do anything a person can. It can reason, solve problems, and speak human languages. AGI would have broad, flexible intelligence. This is unlike ANI's focused abilities. Researchers are working towards creating AGI, but it's challenging and still a long way off.

Artificial Superintelligence (ASI)

ASI is a future concept. In it, AI beats humans in every way. This includes creativity and social skills. ASI could beat humans in every task. It might even invent new tech we can't imagine. The idea of Artificial Superintelligence is exciting, but it dalso raises big questions about ethics and our place in a world dominated by machines. Ensuring ASI's safety and positive impact is crucial.

Type 2 

Reactive Machines

Reactive Machines are basic AIs. They react to inputs with outputs, like fancy calculators. They don't remember past actions or learn from them. IBM's Deep Blue, which beat chess champion Garry Kasparov, is a well-known example. It could analyze chess moves but couldn't learn from past games.

Theory of Mind AI

Theory of Mind AI is an advanced research area. It aims to create AIs that understand human thoughts, feelings, and intentions. This AI would recognize that people have their own beliefs and emotions. It can use this understanding in decision-making. Plus, it promises more natural interactions between people and machines. But it's still under development.

Limited Memory AI

Next, we have Limited Memory AI, which is a step up from Reactive Machines. These AI systems can look into the past. Well, not too far into the past, but they use recent data to make better decisions. This type is prevalent in self-driving cars as it collects data from their surroundings. This includes the speed of nearby vehicles. It also includes traffic signals and pedestrian movements. They use this data to make driving decisions. But, they only remember this data briefly. They don't learn it long-term.

Self-aware AI

Finally, we arrive at the most advanced and speculative type: Self-aware AI. While it sounds like something out of a science fiction novel, researchers are working towards making this a reality. However, the real-life application of self-aware AI is still far from being achieved. 

This type of AI doesn't just understand emotions; it has them. It would be aware of its existence, can understand its internal states, and can predict the feelings of others. 

Comparing the Best AI Courses for Beginners and Novices

List of Best Artificial Intelligence Courses in 2024

AI for Everyone by Deep Learning AI and Coursera

AI for Everyone is a course offered by Deep Learning AI and hosted on Coursera. Among the best online AI courses, it is perfect for a beginner and designed for anyone curious about Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

AI for everyone explains complex AI concepts in simple language. It's ideal for people with little to no technical background and educates them about what AI can do.

The course starts by explaining the basics of AI. Participants will learn about different types of AI technology. This also includes machine learning and deep learning. Then, it shows how AI is used in various industries, from healthcare to transportation. This part is exciting because you see real-world AI applications.

Another important topic is how AI is changing the job market. The course covers what AI jobs might be affected and the new career opportunities AI is creating. This is super helpful for planning your future in an AI-driven world.

Lastly, AI for Everyone touches on the ethics of AI. It discusses how to use AI responsibly and the importance of avoiding bias in AI models.

Key aspects of the course include:

• Machine learning and what its functions are
• It teaches the technical know-how of ML 
• It explains deep learning in non-technical terms
• How to uncover opportunities to apply AI to problems in companies
• Short quizzes to assist in grasping new and difficult concepts

Artificial Intelligence Professional Program by Stanford

Yet another great option for Newbies is the Artificial Intelligence Professional Program. Developed by Stanford, the course is designed for those eager to dive into AI. The program includes a set of courses. They provide a deep understanding of how AI is used in different fields. This can be AI in marketing, tech, business, research, and more. 

It is one of the best AI online courses. The AI Professional Program starts with the basics. Then, it goes through advanced topics. During the program, users learn how AI systems work and how to design them. 

It also covers all AI subsets like machine learning, robotics, and language processing. Also, this hands-on approach ensures you gain real skills.

Moreover, the course is flexible. It fits your schedule, allowing you to balance learning with other commitments. The instructors are experts from Stanford, bringing valuable insights and experience. They guide you every step of the way.

Key aspects of the course include:

• Coverage of foundational AI concepts, machine learning algorithms, and deep learning
• Classes taught by Stanford faculty and industry experts in AI and machine learning
• Discussions on the ethical considerations and societal impacts of AI technology
• Comes with a Stanford-affiliated certification upon completion

Introduction to Generative AI Learning Path by Google

The Generative AI Learning Path by Google is a cutting-edge course. It's designed to teach you all about generative AI. As the program is curated by Google itself, it certainly delivers a deeper understanding of AI to its participants. Top AI courses like this start with the basics, explaining what AI is and how it works. Then, it dives into more complex topics, like how AI can create new content.

During the entire program, Google's experts guide you through every step. They use simple language and lots of examples. This makes learning easy and fun. You'll get to do hands-on projects as well. Hence, it gives you insight into how to apply what you've learned in real-life situations.

Plus, it is one of the best AI courses online freely providing best-in-class AI knowledge. So you can learn at your own pace and at your convenience. By the end, you'll have a solid understanding of generative AI and the skills required for artificial intelligence.

Key aspects of the course include:

• Exploration of generative models such as GANs and VAEs
• Demonstrations of generative AI applications in various fields 
• Overview of tools and frameworks used in generative AI development
• Practical exercises and projects to apply learning in real-world scenarios

AI Foundations for Everyone by IBM 

The AI Foundations for Everyone is perfect for anyone curious about AI, with no need for a tech background. Designed by IBM, it introduces AI to beginners. The course covers everything. Be it from basic to advanced AI. Thus, making it easy to understand how AI works and its impact on our world.

With top AI courses like AI foundations, the information is supplied in three blocks. The first is an intro to AI. It covers the uses of AI at work. The second two blocks are more useful. However, they are also unique to IBM's offering. You'll meet IBM’s Watson and its AI product. Then, you'll learn to use Watson to make a chatbot without coding.

The course takes you through how AI is changing industries like healthcare and finance. You'll see real examples of AI in action. Moreover, IBM teaches you about ethics in AI. This is important because it helps you understand how to use AI responsibly. The course also includes fun quizzes and activities to test your knowledge.

Key aspects of the course include:

• Learn in-demand skills from professionals in academia and business.
• Learn a topic or tool through practical projects.
• Gain a thorough comprehension of the important ideas.
• Obtain an IBM career credential.

Artificial Intelligence A-Z by Udemy 

When we talk about the best AI courses for beginners, Artificial Intelligence A-Z by Udemy is a must. The comprehensive course teaches even a tech novice about AI. It's crafted for learners of all backgrounds. Thus, the aim is to make the complex field of artificial intelligence understandable and accessible.

One of the best parts is the hands-on approach. You get to work on real-life projects, applying what you've learned to solve actual problems. This practical experience is invaluable. can use this substantial AI knowledge to design and sell real-world artificial intelligence apps after completing the course. They can also apply for high-level AI programming jobs. They can help develop real AI tech.

Additionally, the course teaches you how to use popular AI tools and platforms. By the end, you'll have a broad understanding of AI and the skills to implement AI solutions. Artificial Intelligence A-Z is perfect for anyone looking to explore AI in depth. These best courses for AI offer a clear path from beginner concepts to advanced applications.

Key aspects of the course include:

• Deep Q-Learning model and train it to land on the moon.
• SAC (Soft Actor-Critic) model and train it for a Self-Driving Car.
• Hassle-Free Coding and Code templates
• Complete beginner to expert AI skills

Understanding Machine Learning course by DataCamp 

The Understanding Machine Learning course by DataCamp is a non-technical introduction to AI. The course is intended for students who have an interest in machine learning but little to no coding knowledge. The course breaks hard concepts into small parts. This implies that no prior knowledge of arithmetic or coding is required.

It also guides you through key ideas and techniques that power ML. It covers its link to data science and AI. Additionally, it explains the workflow for building machine learning models. These includes supervised and unsupervised learning.

AI training programs like this one include many practical tasks. They help you apply what you've learned. By the end, you should be able to comprehend how machine learning models are created. You'll also see a peek into how they're advancing tech in other areas.

Key aspects of the course include:

• Basics of Machine Learning
• Differences between machine learning, AI, and data science
• Common use cases for deep learning, computer vision, and natural language processing

AI for Business Specialization by the University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania's AI for Business Specialization course is for professionals. It gives them the AI skills and info needed to add AI to business plans. The course is for anyone looking to understand how AI can solve real business problems. 

The Wharton School, one of the best business schools in the world, is home to the academics teaching this course. If you can spend 10 hours a week on the course, you should finish it in about a month. For each module, you must also do peer-reviewed exams. If you pass these, you will receive a certificate that you may post on LinkedIn.

Along the way, students will work on practical projects. These projects help apply what they've learned in real business scenarios. Also, the course includes case studies from many industries. This gives a full view of AI's potential. 

Key aspects of the course include:

• Learn in-demand skills from professionals in academia and business.
• Gain a thorough comprehension of the important ideas.
• Get a professional certificate from Pennsylvania University.

Conclusion

These best free AI courses are allowing even the most novice beginners to start their AI career path. As AI becomes increasingly crucial in the IT and other business sectors, these best AI courses certainly hold the key for many individuals to reap the benefits of this technological shift.

These top AI courses help students greatly. They can make tailored, data-driven AI solutions. It can be a game changer for your professional growth. This is true whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced developer.