The employment sector in the US is going through unprecedented transformations. From Austin to Silicon Valley to the Midwest, artificial intelligence has ceased being an exclusive feature of elite enterprises and is now becoming essential. Based on statistics, almost 80% of employers prefer candidates with demonstrable artificial intelligence skills over candidates holding prestigious four-year degrees. Competition positions offering AI promise a substantial salary premium as well.
Fortunately for eager beginners, the rapidly expanding field does not require tens of thousands of dollars worth of university training or tech boot camps to break through. Some of the most valuable tech corporations and educational institutions are currently engaging in the process of democratization and actively publishing free educational tracks. This article outlines five free artificial intelligence courses for beginners in 2023.
1. Google AI Essentials and Generative AI Learning Path
With an enormous advantage over competitors in terms of artificial intelligence research and product developments, Google has established itself as a leader of innovations in the field. They offer several introductory free educational paths tailored to absolute beginners.
The main course that Google suggests for beginners who don’t know anything about programming is Google AI Essentials. It is a multi-week course designed to teach students how to integrate AI capabilities into their daily workflow as professionals and employees. This course eschews complex mathematical code and emphasizes practical utility and usability of tools. It trains students how to analyze data, create documents and project plans using generative models. What is more, this learning path focuses on responsible artificial intelligence by showing students how to avoid algorithmic biases, data hallucinations, and ensure privacy of analyzed data in the modern world.
For students interested in large language models, Google also offers the Generative AI learning path which is focused specifically on the technologies behind language models such as Google Gemini. It contains a set of micro-learning modules on architecture of the model, functioning of the model, and context engineering which allows beginners to fully grasp the mechanisms of language modeling. Once you finish all modules in the pathway, you’ll receive Google Cloud skill badges that allow you to add them as endorsements to your LinkedIn profile.
2. Microsoft AI Skills Navigator and Azure AI Fundamentals
Microsoft has been making big strides in artificial intelligence development since partnering with OpenAI and implementing Copilot functionality in its Windows products. To assist beginners in navigating the vast space of their educational courses, Microsoft implemented an artificial intelligence skills navigator.
Microsoft AI Skills Navigator is a smart discovery layer that builds personalized learning pathways based on your current professional position, tech expertise, and future ambitions. Once you enter your information, AI navigates you through their educational material to show you a very clear path forward without having to dig into the technical documentation.
This navigator is especially useful for individuals seeking a career in operational tech, project management, or cloud consulting. In these cases, AI-900: Azure AI Fundamentals curriculum might be very important since it covers machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, and anomaly detection within Azure infrastructure. While this course is completely free to take, after finishing it, you’ll be ready to get your certification in Azure AI Fundamentals. Though the price is negligible, Azure AI Fundamentals is one of the most popular certifications among enterprise IT service firms.
3. IBM SkillsBuild: AI Foundations Learning Track
As the creator of cognitive data analytics, IBM has decades of experience in enterprise-grade artificial intelligence. Using their SkillsBuild program, IBM offers to educate adults, career switchers, and students free of charge in order to obtain valuable technical credentials recognized in the industry.
IBM AI Foundations course is specifically designed for individuals wishing to gain concept knowledge about AI without getting into technical details too much. It consists of modular, easy-to-digest courses on topics such as Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals, Generative AI Fundamentals, and Chatbots in Practice. During the course, you will learn how the algorithms learn from data and what kind of problems AI can solve. Moreover, this course teaches students how to interact with algorithms and use them correctly to perform specific tasks.
The reason why IBM SkillsBuild is one of the best options for beginners is because their courses are perfectly aligned with the modern hiring practices. As you pass the final assessments in every course, you earn Credly-backed IBM digital badges that are recognized by Fortune 500 employers around the world and can be embedded in digital resumes and job applications.
4. DeepLearning.AI: AI for Everyone by Andrew Ng
Whenever professional data scientists or machine learning engineers are asked where to start learning about artificial intelligence, they unanimously name Dr. Andrew Ng. As an adjunct professor at Stanford University and a co-founder of Coursera, Andrew has trained millions of students. His free AI for Everyone course on DeepLearning.AI platform is considered one of the best beginner’s introductions.
5. Vanderbilt University: ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Everyone
In today’s technological world, every person knows how to make simple queries to a chatbot in order to receive an instant answer. What distinguishes competent people from ordinary consumers of technology is knowing the art of Prompt Engineering which requires knowledge and skills to format inputs in a way that guides an AI to make a complex decision.
Vanderbilt University has made their ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Everyone course available via Coursera platform absolutely free. Delivered by leading researchers, this course takes you from basic sentence structures to sophisticated prompts and context engineering. You will learn how to apply different prompting techniques and use them in your everyday workflow. By the end of the course, you will be able to turn regular large language models into specialized tools.
By knowing specific prompt engineering techniques, you will be able to significantly increase your personal productivity at work. You will be able to create a personalized assistant who would debug your code, edit your drafts and provide suggestions, analyze finance-related data and many other operations.
6. MIT OpenCourseWare: 6.S191 Introduction to Deep Learning
It goes without saying that artificial intelligence can be quite a technically complex sphere. If you already know the basics of Python programming and high school algebra, there is a better opportunity for you. MIT has made its introductory course on Deep Learning accessible to all individuals online.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is it possible to learn artificial intelligence for free as a beginner?
Absolutely! Since a huge number of foundational roles in the sphere of AI don’t imply any programming skills whatsoever, Google, Microsoft, and IBM are working hard to offer beginner-friendly courses that help students gain data literacy and practical skills.
What’s the difference between auditing a course for free and obtaining a certification?
In case you just wish to familiarize yourself with material offered by educational platforms such as Coursera or edX, auditing is a way to get free access to video lectures, reading material, and discussion forums. Paying for a certificate would mean receiving a graded assignment and a digital certificate issued. But if you learn the material for free and create a GitHub portfolio of your projects, it is quite a valid approach.
How much time would it take to finish an AI course?
This largely depends on the complexity and depth of the curriculum. Micro-learning paths, such as Google’s Generative AI path or DeepLearning.AI’s AI introduction would take you approximately 2-4 hours to complete. Meanwhile, a more elaborate curriculum, such as Google AI Essentials or Microsoft Azure fundamentals would require up to 4-8 weeks (approximately 3-5 hours per week).
Is a powerful computer needed for studying AI?
No, not necessarily! In case of beginners’ courses offered by Google, Microsoft, or IBM, all the practical exercises would be completed using their cloud-based web platforms (Google Cloud Skills Boost, Microsoft Learn, or Google Colab). Therefore, you won’t require a powerful PC in order to get through the whole curriculum.
Which course should I begin with?
Andrew Ng’s AI introduction would be suitable for beginners who wish to understand the fundamentals of the concept of AI. However, if you seek some hands-on tools to help you with automating your daily tasks, Google AI Essentials is the right choice.
