There’s a paradigm shift across diverse industries, including healthcare, technology, and finance. The source: The increasing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) products and services. These include virtual assistants, robotics, and predictive analytics services.
About 41% of business executives foresee a “complete overhaul of business processes” using AI (Forbes). Furthermore, the global AI market increased to more than $184 billion in 2024. By 2030, it will grow beyond $826 billion (Statista). Indeed, AI is among the fastest-growing sectors in the technology industry.
And with these trends come an increasing demand for AI professionals. Even better, you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to become one. Start your education through free AI courses for a career in artificial intelligence.
Here, we’ll feature five of these free online AI courses for diverse learners. Choose based on your skill level – beginner or intermediate-level learner.
These online AI courses feature flexible schedules, accessible learning formats, and quality instruction. Many courses are also stackable. You can earn a professional certificate when you complete a series of courses.
Plus, you’ll establish a strong foundation for a successful AI career. Learning hard skills with practical applications is a given in every course. You’ll also learn soft skills that will boost your success as an AI professional.
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Why Learn Artificial Intelligence?
Think about any modern device and you’ll likely find AI in it. Smartphones, laptops, smart home devices, automobiles, wearable devices, drones, and medical devices. These are just a few examples of the prevalent presence of AI in our modern lives.
With that being said, here are great reasons to learn artificial intelligence now.
AI’s Growing Importance
The sky’s the limit with AI applications today. AI has revolutionized and continues to revolutionize diverse industries. Many breakthroughs that were once thought impossible are possible with AI.
- In healthcare, robotic surgery, personalized medicine, and AI-driven drug discoveries are possible.
- In agriculture, we have AI-powered precision farming, pest control, and crop monitoring.
- In transportation, smart logistics and autonomous vehicles are AI breakthroughs.
Again, name an industry, even a human-reliant one, and AI has its practical applications.
Enhanced Career Opportunities
AI occupations are diverse and in high demand, too. If you have AI skills, you can explore a wide range of career opportunities. Take a look at these occupations and their average annual salaries.
- AI engineers ($133,527)
- Machine learning specialists ($121,609)
- Data scientists ($117,467)
Plus, you have great opportunities to develop breakthrough innovations with a positive impact.
Affordable Access
The best free artificial intelligence courses increase access to education. As a result, barriers that prevent entry into the high-demand field are removed. At Harvard, for example, its AI Essentials for Business costs $1,850.
Key Features of Quality AI Courses
Just because free AI courses for a career in artificial intelligence are, well, free doesn’t mean that you should take everyone. You’ll spend time and energy to complete these courses. As such, you should choose courses based on these favorable qualities:
Industry-relevant Curriculum
The best free AI courses must have an industry-relevant curriculum that covers core topics in:
- Machine learning
- Neural networks
- Data analysis and preprocessing
- +Computer vision
- Natural language processing
Of course, every AI course has its specific learning outcomes. Read and understand them first. Then, determine if these are in line with your interests and goals.
Hands-on Projects
Knowledge of AI theories and principles are a must in your education. But practical exercises and case studies are also crucial in your training.
You’ll learn to translate your theoretical knowledge into practical skills through hands-on projects. Examples include building predictive models and computer vision models.
Certificates of Completion
Your AI knowledge and skills have their value. But you want tangible proof of your abilities, and so will prospective employers. This is where certificates come in. You can highlight them in your resume and LinkedIn profile, too.
Flexible Learning
If you’re a working student or professional, flexible scheduling is a must. Look for self-paced online courses for this reason.
Don’t forget to check for positive reputations and reviews, too. Research about the instructors including their teaching credentials and style.
5 Free AI Courses for Career Development
1. AI for Everyone by Coursera
Stanford University offers many excellent online AI training programs via Coursera. The AI for Everyone course is best for beginners who want to know more about AI. You’ll learn about the basics of AI and its applications in business and daily life.
The course features video lectures, quizzes, and insights from industry leaders. You don’t need programming skills to explore AI’s potential in this course.
2. Introduction to Machine Learning
Google AI offers many great free AI certifications for all types of learners. The Introduction to Machine Learning self-paced course covers fundamental topics in machine learning. These concepts include supervised and unsupervised learning.
You’ll learn theory and skills through interactive exercises and practical coding examples. If you’re a tech-savvy beginner or an intermediate learner, consider it. Afterward, you can move forward with advanced AI/machine learning courses.
3. Elements of AI
If you’re looking for AI courses for beginners, consider the Elements of AI course. Offered by the University of Helsinki, it’s an interactive course that explains AI basics. You’ll learn about AI’s technical aspects, its ethical considerations, and its social impact.
The course features modules with engaging content and case studies. You’ll take quizzes to test your understanding of the content. There’s no prior knowledge in programming and AI needed. The course emphasizes understanding AI’s broader context.
4. Deep Learning Specialization by Andrew Ng
This is an auditable five-part course series on Coursera that can be built into a degree. The courses are in:
- Neural Networks and Deep Learning
- Improving Deep Neural Networks: Hyperparameter Tuning, Regularization and Optimization
- Structuring Machine Learning Projects
- Convolutional Neural Networks
- Sequence Models
If you’re keen on intensive artificial intelligence career training, this is it. You must have a programming background and want to become a specialist. The program features hands-on projects using TensorFlow and Python.
5. AI Programming with Python by Udacity
Note that it’s among the top free AI courses online because of its free trial period. The AI Programming with Python course focuses on foundational Python programming skills for AI. These include Pandas and NumPy along with basic AI theories and principles.
For these reasons, it’s a practical starting point for aspiring AI developers. Learners engage in real-world projects that boost their practical AI skills. Mentors are also available for support during the free trial period.
Which of these free AI courses for a career in artificial intelligence are your best choices? You must consider your interests, goals, and skill level when making your initial choice. If you’re a beginner who wants to enter the AI profession, choose the AI for Everyone course. Go for the AI Programming with Python course if you’re a veteran programmer.
How Free AI Courses Build Career Foundations
Free courses in AI for career development build strong career foundations in many ways.
Skills Development
You’ll develop technical and transferable skills that will boost your career prospects. Core AI hard skills include neural networks and machine learning algorithms. Soft skills learned include critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. You must make conscious decisions to learn as many skills as you can.
Portfolio Building
During an AI course, you’ll create a professional portfolio of your projects. You must leverage it by highlighting your AI-relevant competencies. Be sure to include your portfolio highlights in your resume and LinkedIn profile, too.
It also applies to free artificial intelligence certificates. Don’t be shy about highlighting them, too, because it shows your commitment to professional development.
Bridging the Gap Between Beginner and Specialist
Everybody starts from somewhere, even the best AI professionals. If you’re an AI beginner but don’t want to earn a degree yet, consider AI courses. You’ll build foundational knowledge and skills in the various aspects of AI one course at a time.
When you’re ready, you can advance to intermediate-level courses. With every completed course, you’re closer to becoming a respected AI specialist.
Tips for Success in AI Education
Your online education in artificial intelligence is only as valuable as your ability to leverage it. Keep these tips in mind so you can take full advantage of its benefits.
- Set SMART goals for every course and training program. What do you want to achieve?
- Practice on a regular basis. Engage in coding exercises and projects.
- Become an active member of AI communities. Join forums and groups, such as Reddit AI communities, Kaggle, and GitHub.
- Seek additional resources, such as podcasts, books, and advanced courses.
Conclusion
The free AI courses for a career in artificial intelligence will provide a solid foundation for a successful AI career. You must take advantage of these free resources now.
Better yet, explore the Accredited Online Colleges site for more information on education opportunities in artificial intelligence.