The following write-up attempts to summarize the resources I’ve found helpful as a means to update my technical knowledge with all of the skills necessary to work and meaningfully contribute in the field of AI and Machine Learning. For context, I hold a B.Sc. in Computer Science with a focus in Computational Neuroscience and I’ve worked for many years as a Front-end / Full-Stack Web Developer, although I’ve always been strong at math.
For an excellent free introduction that covers just about everything you need to know in a relatively simplistic way, I was recommended the 3Blue1Brown video series on YouTube by one of my co-learners and collaborators for my internship, Vlad:
I personally opted for the Stanford Professional Certificate Program as a recommendation made by my mentors D & T. Although it was extremely difficult to tackle after being out of school for quite some time, I found the experience to be invaluable because it gave me the conceptual understanding and language to follow along with just almost any paper, tutorial, or discussion today.
I’ve written two articles; one about the pros and cons of the Artificial Intelligence Professional Program and one about XCS221: What I Wish I knew before I started.
The Pros and Cons of Stanford Online Learning Courses For AI and Machine Learning: The Stanford…
XCS221: What I Wish I Knew before I Started
The TLDR is that the Certificate Program can be taken at a reduced cost when compared to Stanford’s on-campus courses, but it might require some degree of problem solving to actually make it through the curriculum. Many students require extra help from fellow students, course facilitators (CF’s), and advice from previous students to complete the homework assignments.
The AI Professional Program is oriented towards a person wanting to get into AI Research. For the student who wishes to acquire only technical skills, something like deeplearning.ai or the Udacity Artificial Intelligence programs might be a better fit.
I personally found UC Berkeley to have a better explanation of all of the same concepts in XCS221: Artificial Intelligence: Principles and Techniques, and I’d highly recommend the free UC Berkeley CS 188 Lectures as a stand-alone learning curriculum or as support material to anyone considering tackling XCS221.