How to Boost Your Career with Free AI Training

For those looking to gain in-demand AI skills for free, numerous tech companies and universities offer high-quality online courses and certifications. These resources range from beginner-friendly introductions to more advanced, hands-on projects. 

Top Free Resources for Learning In-Demand AI Skills

Free AI courses for beginners

These courses provide foundational knowledge of AI concepts without requiring a background in programming:

• Google AI Essentials: A beginner-friendly program created by Google experts that teaches practical skills for leveraging AI tools in under 10 hours. It focuses on using generative AI tools, creating effective prompts, and selecting the right AI tools for various tasks.

• AI for Everyone (Coursera): Taught by AI expert Andrew Ng, this non-technical course helps business leaders and other professionals understand the impact of AI, manage AI projects, and consider ethical implications.

• Elements of AI (University of Helsinki & MinnaLearn): A free online course covering the basics of AI, its potential, and limitations. It does not require advanced math or programming and is suitable for a wide range of learners.

• AI for Beginners (HP LIFE): This course provides a fundamental understanding of AI and how it is transforming various industries.

• Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT (Vanderbilt University on Coursera): This course teaches the fundamentals of crafting effective prompts for AI systems like ChatGPT. 

Free AI courses for developers

For those with programming experience, particularly in Python, these courses offer hands-on training:

• CS50's Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python (HarvardX on edX): This intensive, seven-week course teaches AI algorithms through practical, hands-on Python projects in areas like game development and machine translation. It requires prior Python experience.

• AI Fundamentals (IBM SkillsBuild): A six-course credential that provides training in AI concepts, including ethics, for those with some IT knowledge. Completing the program earns you a shareable credential.

• Deep Learning (NVIDIA): NVIDIA's Deep Learning Institute offers free, self-paced foundational courses that can be combined with paid versions to earn a certificate of competency.

• ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Developers (DeepLearning.AI): This course teaches you how to use LLM APIs to build your own applications and custom chatbots. 

Free learning platforms and resources

Beyond structured courses, several platforms provide a wide array of free AI resources:

• Google AI for Everyone: This resource hub from Google provides free tools and courses for developing your AI skills. It offers introductory resources as well as more specialized training.

• AWS Skill Builder: Amazon offers over 100 free AI and machine learning courses through its digital learning center. Topics range from foundational models to generative AI.

• Codecademy: This interactive platform offers free, beginner-friendly courses in topics like Python programming and prompt engineering, with some certification paths available.

• IBM SkillsBuild: This platform features a catalog of free AI courses for students and professionals, including options for beginners and those looking to upskill.

• Kaggle: An online community for data scientists and machine learning enthusiasts, Kaggle offers free, hands-on courses and competitions to build practical skills and portfolio projects.

• Coursera: While many specializations require payment for a certificate, you can often audit individual courses for free to access video lectures and other content.

• Verizon Skill Forward (via edX): This program offers a full year of free, unlimited access to premium AI courses from institutions like Harvard, MIT, and IBM. 

Tips for learning AI for free

• Start with the basics. If you are new to the field, begin with a conceptual, non-technical course to understand the fundamentals before diving into coding.

• Consider your career goals. Decide whether you want to be a technical expert (an AI developer or data scientist) or use AI tools in your current role (e.g., a marketer or manager). This will help you choose the right courses.

• Build a portfolio. Practical projects are often more valuable to employers than formal credentials. Use free platforms like Kaggle or Google AI Studio to gain hands-on experience.

• Leverage AI to learn about AI. You can use AI assistants like ChatGPT to help you understand coding concepts or summarize complex topics you are learning.