How do I start learning AI for beginners?

With AI becoming the hot streak, the world is bound towards the necessity of artificial intelligence similar to that of electricity. From thorough trawling of data to providing a personalized web experience to the arrival of self-driving cars, AI is bound for never-experienced innovations. Amidst these, it has become crucial for individuals to learn the basics of AI, if not develop expertise, to harness the power of AI effectively. Learning about AI can be a thrilling experience, yet how to go about it, particularly when you are new to this concept. In this blog, let us explore how one can begin to learn the basics of AI, and how to navigate through its disruptive innovations as a beginner. We shall find out how to learn AI in 2024 for beginners and delve into the nuances of this soon to be a necessary skill. 

Why learn the basics of AI?

Artificial intelligence is the new electricity that powers most of our interactions today. Understanding AI would not merely remain a trendy skill, but a necessary element as the world continues to rely heavily on computational devices and machines. Businesses have been enormously reaping the benefits of artificial intelligence, It is poised to upend several industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, and transportation to mention a few. AI is already powering the Information technology landscape, business ads and web search. It is thus ideal to learn the basics of AI to have a grasp of the transformative power it has. Building a career in AI would certainly prove to be rewarding and mean developing timeless career paths.

Before we explore how to learn AI in 2024 for beginners, let us identify the rationale of learning AI and developing potential in AI. 

Learning AI is a modern imperative as the world drives on the potential of AI. Let us throw light on the few factors that explain why one must learn the basics of AI as well as its nitty-gritty and develop expertise in the field altogether. 

Global Impact: AI has the potential and is poised to upend and reshape our world as many industries are largely impacted by its integration. It has also been the driving force that enables the shift to digitalization. The AI market is poised to contribute to the global economy with more than $15 trillion. 

Myriads of Career Opportunities: With the rapid growth of the AI market, there is a growing demand for AI specialists with abundant roles across industries. Job roles like Data Scientists, AI Architects, Machine Learning Engineers, etc. are the current elite jobs that are driving growth across sectors.

Competitive Mileage: Gaining mastery over AI unfolds multiple opportunities, as it gives a competitive edge and unfolds a plethora of career opportunities. With this kind of expertise, individuals have the potential to automate one's tasks and perform with high efficiency and accuracy, ultimately generating growth and progression. 

High-Paying Career Path: Professionals with AI expertise are among the highest-paid professionals in the technological industry. The salaries will vary depending on the experience and expertise. An AI Engineer is known to earn an annual average salary of $1,54,878.

How to learn AI in 2024 for Beginners

Let's get into the details of how to learn AI in 2024 for beginners. As a beginner, the route to learning and mastering AI may seem complicated, yet following a strategic plan and steps would facilitate easy learning. 

Step 1: Gaining proficiency in essential skill sets

To venture into the AI field, it is essential to learn the basics of AI and gain mastery of the prerequisite skills. Treading the AI professional journey demands securing a strong foundation by strengthening the basics including mathematics, statistics, programming, and data science. Beginners may begin with the fundamentals of AI, Machine learning and deep learning by signing up for a comprehensive course or accessing a free introduction to AI program. Individuals who are familiar with the various AI concepts may find boot camps and a free introduction to AI program opportunities helpful. 

Foundationational Skills

Statistics and Mathematics: The foundational skills of AI include Statistics and Mathematics. ML which is a subset of AI is largely based on statistics. Gaining a comprehensive knowledge of statistical concepts and principles like measures, distributions, standard deviation, variance, etc. would give you the knowledge to draw inferences from data by training AI systems.

A solid foundation in mathematical areas of linear algebra, probability theory, and calculus, in particular, is vital for understanding the function and implementation of machine learning algorithms in artificial intelligence. This knowledge is key in effectively navigating through the arrays of AI, executing complex computations, and comprehending data randomness and irregularities, which ultimately optimizes ML models for better functions of AI. 

Programming: Programming languages are the vital aspect that breathes life into AI. It is imperative that individuals also learn the basics and intricacies of coding 

Data structure: Having a comprehensive knowledge of data structures and the ability to manipulate data are essential to perform as an AI specialist. 

Step 2: Develop specialist AI skills

Once you comprehensively learn the basics of AI and build a strong foundation, you may proceed with a little more advanced level by delving into specialized tools and fields.

Top Field: Data Science

Data Science plays a paramount role in AI. Artificial Intelligence lays its foundational pillar on the data science function of data refinement and data analysis executed with meticulous attention, without which AI would not be able to carry out its transformative tasks. 

Machine Learning and Deep Learning

Both ML and DL play pivotal roles and remain indispensable. These two domains are the key propellers of AI's transformational power and the development of practical reality from its theoretical concepts. ML is the bedrock that equips systems to learn and improve from experience. Deep learning deploys neural networks to imitate the intricate web of human cognition, thereby enabling AI models to discover intricate features and patterns embedded in the data. 

Step 3: Be Conversant with fundamental AI tools and packages

It's essential to develop familiarity with the tools and packages essential for AI like -Python, NumPy, Pandas, Scikit-Learn, etc. 

We have discussed the major three steps on how to learn AI in 2024 for beginners. Candidates my learn the basic of AI initially and further into advanced layers progressively.