How I'd Learn AI in 2024 (if I could start over)

Dave Ebbelaar
4 Aug 202317:55

TLDRIn this video, the creator shares a comprehensive roadmap for learning AI in 2024. They reflect on their 10-year journey in AI and data science, emphasizing the importance of understanding coding and technical concepts. The roadmap covers seven key steps, including setting up a work environment, learning Python, understanding Git and GitHub, working on projects, specializing in a focus area, continuing to upskill, and monetizing AI skills. The video also introduces a free resource for following the roadmap and invites viewers to join a community called 'Data Alchemy.'

Takeaways

  • 🧑‍💻 AI is a booming field, expected to grow massively by 2030, making it a great opportunity to dive into.
  • 💻 Decide if you want to use no-code/low-code tools or dive deep into coding and building AI solutions from scratch.
  • 🧠 AI is a broad term, and there’s a lot of misunderstanding around it. The hype around ChatGPT is just one small part.
  • 🧑‍🏫 Start by learning Python, the most important language for AI and data science, with key libraries like NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib.
  • 🛠 Step one is setting up a Python work environment you are comfortable with. This is crucial for learning AI.
  • 📚 Learn Git and GitHub to work with others' code and start reverse-engineering projects to deepen your understanding.
  • 🏗 Focus on building a portfolio through projects, exploring areas like computer vision, NLP, and machine learning.
  • 🌟 Kaggle is a fantastic resource for participating in machine learning competitions and learning through real-world examples.
  • 📈 Once you have some clarity on your specialization, start sharing your knowledge via blogs, articles, or even YouTube.
  • 💼 The final step is to monetize your skills through freelancing, job opportunities, or building products.

Q & A

  • What is the goal of the video?

    -The video aims to provide a roadmap for learning AI, based on the speaker's personal experience of 10 years in AI and data science.

  • Why is now a good time to learn AI?

    -The AI market is expected to grow significantly by 2030, creating vast opportunities, and it's easier than ever to get started due to pre-trained models like those from OpenAI.

  • What is the first decision you should make before learning AI?

    -You need to decide whether you want to focus on learning how to use no-code/low-code AI tools or dive into the technical coding aspects of AI.

  • What is the primary programming language recommended for AI?

    -Python is the go-to language for AI and data science due to its simplicity and the availability of libraries useful for AI development.

  • What are the essential Python libraries for AI and data science?

    -Key libraries include NumPy (for mathematical operations), Pandas (for data manipulation), and Matplotlib (for visualizations).

  • Why should beginners learn Git and GitHub early?

    -Git and GitHub are crucial for downloading, sharing, and collaborating on AI projects, as much of the AI learning material and code is shared on these platforms.

  • What is the importance of working on projects while learning AI?

    -Working on projects allows learners to apply what they've learned, reverse-engineer existing solutions, and understand how real-world AI systems are structured.

  • What is Kaggle, and why is it useful?

    -Kaggle is an online platform that hosts machine learning competitions and provides datasets, notebooks, and code for AI projects, making it a valuable resource for learners.

  • At what stage should learners pick a specialization in AI?

    -After gaining a basic understanding of Python and working on a few projects, learners should choose a specific field within AI, such as data science, machine learning, or natural language processing.

  • What is the final step in the AI learning roadmap?

    -The final step is to monetize AI skills, either through a job, freelancing, or building a product. Real learning often occurs when there is pressure to deliver results, such as in professional or client work.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Starting Your AI Journey

The speaker introduces the video as a complete roadmap for learning artificial intelligence (AI) from scratch. They share their 10-year experience as a freelance data scientist and YouTuber with 25,000 subscribers. The speaker emphasizes the growing opportunities in AI, especially with predictions of AI market growth to $2 trillion by 2030. However, they caution against misconceptions around AI, highlighting the importance of understanding the technical side, including coding, to build reliable AI applications.

05:02

💻 Choosing Your AI Path: No Code vs. Coding

The speaker discusses the choice between learning low/no-code tools for rapid prototyping versus diving deep into AI coding and technical knowledge. They acknowledge the usefulness of no-code tools like Botpress and Stack AI but stress that true AI mastery requires coding knowledge. The paragraph explores the large scope of AI, from machine learning to deep learning, and emphasizes the importance of understanding these subfields to truly comprehend AI's potential.

10:03

📂 Setting Up Your AI Workspace

The speaker advises on the first technical step: setting up a Python work environment. They emphasize Python as the go-to programming language for AI and data science. The importance of creating a comfortable work environment on your computer is highlighted, along with tips on learning Python's basics and essential libraries like NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib. The speaker encourages setting up efficient tools and workflows to manage data, which is fundamental to AI.

15:05

🛠️ Learning Git and GitHub for AI Projects

The speaker highlights the importance of learning Git and GitHub for managing AI projects. While some consider these tools advanced, they argue that even beginners should understand them to download, clone, and reverse-engineer code from online resources. Building a portfolio of projects through platforms like GitHub is key to improving skills. The speaker suggests using Kaggle for machine learning competitions to enhance experience by learning from shared code and projects.

🧑‍🔬 Exploring AI Competitions and Projects

The speaker introduces Kaggle as a valuable resource for AI and machine learning enthusiasts. They highlight the benefits of participating in competitions and reviewing other people's submissions to learn from real-world examples. Additionally, the speaker shares personal projects from their GitHub repository, where they provide AI solutions like YouTube bots and data analysis agents. They also introduce Project Pro, a platform offering end-to-end project solutions in AI and data science.

🎯 Picking a Specialization in AI

After mastering the basics of AI and building project experience, the speaker advises viewers to choose a specific area to specialize in. They suggest sharing knowledge through blogs, Medium, or YouTube to contribute to the AI community while solidifying one's understanding of AI concepts. By teaching others, learners can identify gaps in their own knowledge, enabling targeted learning and continuous improvement in their chosen AI field.

📚 Continuous Learning and Upskilling

The speaker encourages viewers to keep learning and upskilling as they progress in their AI journey. Depending on their specialization, they might focus on math and statistics for machine learning or software engineering skills for large language models. The emphasis is on adapting learning based on the gaps discovered while working on projects, ensuring a tailored, effective approach to mastering AI.

💼 Monetizing AI Skills

In the final step, the speaker discusses monetizing AI skills through jobs, freelancing, or building products. They stress that true learning happens when there is pressure, whether from a boss or client. This pressure drives creativity and problem-solving. The speaker concludes by announcing the launch of 'Data Alchemy,' a free group for like-minded individuals to share resources, learn from each other, and navigate the fast-changing world of AI together.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to programs with the ability to learn, reason, and simulate human-like behavior. The video emphasizes how AI is a broad field with multiple subfields such as machine learning and deep learning. AI is a central theme of the video, where the speaker shares a roadmap on how to learn AI, highlighting its relevance in today’s rapidly growing market.

💡Machine Learning

Machine Learning (ML) is a subset of AI focused on creating systems that can learn and improve from experience. In the video, the speaker mentions machine learning as a key area to master if you want to build AI solutions for real-world applications, beyond no-code tools. It involves using algorithms to analyze and learn from data, and it's critical for building AI applications.

💡Deep Learning

Deep Learning is a subset of machine learning that uses neural networks with multiple layers to analyze vast amounts of data. It is highlighted as one of the more advanced aspects of AI in the video. The speaker refers to it as a crucial skill for those wanting to develop more complex AI applications.

💡Python

Python is the go-to programming language for AI and data science projects, according to the speaker. The video stresses its importance as a foundational tool to learn early in the journey of mastering AI. Python is recommended due to its simplicity and the availability of numerous libraries like NumPy and Pandas for data manipulation.

💡No-Code/Low-Code Tools

No-Code and Low-Code tools are platforms that allow users to build AI applications without writing code. The speaker compares these tools with traditional coding methods, emphasizing that while these tools are useful for prototyping or basic solutions, they are insufficient for building complex, scalable AI applications. Examples of such tools mentioned include Flowwise and Stack AI.

💡Git and GitHub

Git and GitHub are version control systems that help developers manage and share code. The video suggests learning the basics of these tools early on in the AI learning journey. By understanding GitHub, learners can easily download and modify AI projects from others, which helps them reverse-engineer and better understand code structures.

💡Data Science

Data Science involves extracting insights and knowledge from data, and it's another field that overlaps with AI. The speaker mentions that AI and data science often go hand in hand, as many AI models rely on well-structured data. The ability to manipulate and clean data using libraries like Pandas and Matplotlib is an essential skill in both data science and AI.

💡Kaggle

Kaggle is an online platform that hosts data science competitions. The video points out that it’s an excellent resource for learners to find real-world projects and datasets to practice AI and machine learning skills. The speaker encourages learners to use Kaggle for improving their practical skills by reverse-engineering existing projects.

💡LangChain

LangChain is a framework used to build applications powered by large language models (LLMs), such as OpenAI’s models. The speaker recommends LangChain as a good starting point for those interested in creating AI applications that involve natural language processing, such as chatbots. He also shares a personal GitHub repository with LangChain examples.

💡Project Pro

Project Pro is a platform offering end-to-end data science and machine learning projects created by experts. The speaker highlights Project Pro as an advanced resource for those looking to work on more comprehensive AI and data science projects. It provides ready-made projects, code walkthroughs, and 24/7 support for learners who want to gain practical experience.

Highlights

Introduction to a roadmap for learning AI from scratch in 2024.

The speaker has been studying AI since 2013 and now shares knowledge with over 25,000 YouTube subscribers.

AI market is expected to grow to nearly 2 trillion USD by 2030, making it a great time to learn AI.

Importance of deciding between learning AI through low-code/no-code tools or learning the technical coding aspects.

AI is a broad field that includes machine learning, deep learning, and data science.

The first step is to set up a Python work environment for learning and development.

Python is the most important language for AI, and beginners should learn libraries like NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib.

Learn the basics of Git and GitHub early to manage and clone projects efficiently.

Working on AI projects and reverse engineering code is the best way to learn.

Kaggle is recommended as a great resource for learning and practicing machine learning through competitions.

Explore specialization areas like natural language processing, computer vision, or large language models.

Sharing knowledge through blogs, articles, or videos strengthens learning.

Continuous learning is essential as the field of AI rapidly evolves.

Monetizing AI skills can happen through jobs, freelancing, or building products.

Joining a community of like-minded learners is crucial for growth and sharing ideas.