Newbie's Guide to AI Resources
Tags: ai, machinelearning, python, beginners
Published: 2021-06-18 22:12:41

###So, you want to get into AI and ML but don't know where to start?

I've been there. Twice, actually. About 6 months ago, I started looking into AI but got too intimidated. I talked myself out of it.

Not this time! And I'm here to help you not get overwhelmed at where to start. There's a lot of information out there, and it can be difficult to know where to start. This isn't about the job field, or issues around ethics or bias, this is just some good resources to use if you want to learn more.

**Let's get started!**

[AI Demystified](https://academy.infinite.red/p/ai-demystified-free-5-day-mini-course) from Infinite Red Academy. I recently completed this, and found it incredibly helpful and interesting. Instructor [Gant Laborde](https://twitter.com/gantlaborde?s=21) breaks down what AI is and how it's used in a humorous and interesting way.

[DeepLearning.Ai](https://www.deeplearning.ai/programs/) is a great next step, they have programs for everything - beginners to more advanced stuff. These programs are not completely free, they're through coursera. But coursera does have financial aid, and I highly recommend you take advantage of that. 

[Google](https://ai.google/) - no, not googling something. Google has a wealth of information about AI [education](https://ai.google/education) and resources, depending on what you're looking for. Here's an example, their filters for content. Lots of options to explore.

![Filter of content options on Google AI](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/y1pau7yvtpdx06d3k88p.jpg)

**Ready to get into the nitty gritty? Let's talk about programming and math!**

*Learn Python!* Python is [great](https://www.cuelogic.com/blog/role-of-python-in-artificial-intelligence) for AI, lots of programs already built in for the language. If you're new to programming, it's a great place to start, easy to understand. If you need a course, Udemy has [Automate the Boring Stuff](https://www.udemy.com/course/automate/?src=sac&kw=automate+the+boring+stuff). I'm going to be starting this soon. Udemy often has sales on stuff, so better to wait if you can. Or, if videos are not for you, there's a [book](https://automatetheboringstuff.com/).

*Math.* If you're interested in AI or ML, math comes with it. You either love math, or are like me, and are willing to tolerate it because it gets you where you need to go (okay, maybe I like it and I'm just in the closet...). [Here's](https://towardsdatascience.com/mathematics-for-ai-all-the-essential-math-topics-you-need-ed1d9c910baf) some reasons why math has a lot of value in this realm. Years ago, I got to statistics when I went back to school to be a lab tech, and we used a lot of scientific math, but really what saved my butt here is [Khan Academy](https://www.khanacademy.org/math). It's free and helped me understand a lot of concepts. Definitely use that for statistics and other math functions as you need it.

So there you go! Lots of resources to get you started. Have you tried some of these resources before? Let me know on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/jessishakarian)!