Finding the Best Online Artificial Intelligence Courses in 2021

The average salary for somebody who possesses artificial intelligence (AI) skills is $125,258 per year. That is higher than the average for people working in data science and software engineering. AI is a branch of computer and information science, where the job outlook between 2019-2029 is currently projected at 15%.

As the practical applications of AI become increasingly apparent in business and medicine, the opportunities for employment in this field will continue to grow. In addition, obtaining AI skills will put you at the forefront of technological innovation.

In this article, we show you the best online artificial intelligence courses to set you off on the right AI education and career pathway.

What Is Artificial Intelligence?

AI is about programming a machine to learn and solve problems in a way that is similar to humans. It is about teaching a machine to exhibit some of the traits associated with the human mind. There are practical applications for AI in business, entertainment, and healthcare, where some of the most meaningful breakthroughs are being made.

The Best Online Artificial Intelligence Courses of 2021

The best AI courses are the ones that you can afford and offer a flexible schedule. At the heart of every online AI course is instruction on natural language processing (NLP). Once you’ve completed an online AI course, you should be able to draw a link between computers and human language.

Through varying degrees of reinforcement, you will be able to program computers to analyze and resolve problems in the same way that a living being would. The courses we have listed below will help set you off on that pathway.

Price: Free
Length: 10 months (six hours per week)
Certificate: Yes, for $49

This course has been designed for people who already work in AI and big data, looking to make further inroads into the field of AI. When you have completed the course you should be competent with things like the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), convolutional neural networks, recurrent neural networks, Bayesian optimization, and Gaussian processes. This is complex and exciting learning material.

Price: Free
Length: Four months (four hours per week)
Certificate: Yes, for $49

This machine learning course is suitable for people learning about AI at a beginner level. Once you complete the course you will have learned a considerable amount about Principal Component Analysis (PCA).

That is a lot of math to learn for somebody who is not a mathematician or statistician, working towards a career in something like data science. However, there are practical AI applications for this kind of knowledge. One of these applications is neuroscience, which is a critical cog in reinforcement learning, and a branch of machine learning and AI.

Price: Free
Length: About 60 hours
Certificate: Yes, for $79

Offered by one of the top universities in the US, this course will teach you about artificial neural networks, which are a big part of AI and machine learning. The creation of artificial neural networks is heavily based on the biological neural networks of living beings. This course combines theoretical and practical learning.

Price: Free
Length: Nine months (two hours per week)
Certificate: Yes, for $79

This course begins with an introduction to healthcare, where you will be taught to solve some of the most pressing problems the US healthcare system currently faces. In the meantime, you will also develop a firm grasp of how that system actually works.

You will also be treated to an introduction to clinical data, where you will become familiar with the concept of ethical medical data mining. The course also addresses the fundamentals of machine learning for healthcare; a major component of that will be AI.

Finally, you will also learn how to evaluate AI applications in healthcare, with particular emphasis placed on the system in the US.

Price: $129.99
Length: 17 hours
Certificate: Yes, for $10.75

Once you have completed this AI online course you will be equipped with fundamental knowledge on how reinforcement learning works. An example of reinforcement learning is teaching a car to pick up and drop off passengers at the right place. It is like adopting the principles of teaching a dog to sit and stand and using it in big tech. During your participation in this course, you will create a virtual self-driving car.

Price: $159.99
Length: 11 hours
Certificate: Yes, for $10.75

This is one of Udemy’s best-selling courses. It will help you master OpenCV, one of the most exciting elements of AI. OpenCV is something you will use for egomotion, facial recognition, gesture recognition, and mobile robotics. This course is a good way to start your journey with AI.

Price: $199.99
Length: 15 hours
Certificate: Yes, for $157.60

This Python programming course will cost you a little more than most and for good reason. It is a dramatic expansion of what you would have learned in the computer vision course discussed above. With this course, you will develop a firmer grasp of multiple reinforcement learning algorithms, and establish a link between the machine learning element and the psychology of reinforcement.

Price: $24.99
Length: 11 hours
Certificate: Yes, for $10.75

If you are a fan of gaming, then this course is for you. There are two types of characters in a computer game. You have the characters who can be controlled by the players and pre-programmed characters (non-player characters or NPCs) who serve a different purpose in the game. This course, among other things, will teach you to design and program NPCs.

Price: $129.99
Length: 15 hours
Certificate: Yes, for $15.04

There is a branch of reinforcement learning known as Q-learning. It is unique in the field of computer science because it is an algorithm that does not follow a specific model. In this course, you will learn all about Q-learning and how to implement it. With these skills, you can build an artificial brain, as well as do Thompson sampling and regret analysis.

Price: $139.99
Length: 12 hours
Certificate: Yes, for $10.75

Beyond just learning about AI, this course teaches you about Deep Neuroevolution. Traditional AI architecture is built on simplistic reinforcement learning models. With Deep Neuroevolution, you are venturing into AI architecture that is inspired by the human cognitive system. The difference between these two layers of AI is the level of performance.

What Do Artificial Intelligence Courses Cover?

Typically, AI courses deal with scientific, mathematical, and technical concepts, and with the application of data science principles in the real world. They also cover the evolution of AI models and techniques and the deployment of these AI models. Once you complete one of these courses, you will have a strong foundation in AI.

Generally speaking, everything you learn when taking part in an online AI course would feature in the standard undergraduate curriculum of a computer science degree or a degree in a related field. Online courses might be more staggered but possibly also more effective. Short online courses are usually updated more frequently than standard university programs.

How to Choose the Best Artificial Intelligence Course

The best AI courses are those that will give you practical knowledge, in addition to basic theory. That should be among the primary considerations when seeking the right AI course.

You also want to be involved in courses that support discussion and some form of collaboration, which will help you share knowledge and learn from others.

Finally, when searching for the best AI courses, you want to conduct a thorough examination of how much you’d be paying and exactly what you’d be getting in return. The goal is to establish what value you are getting for what you are paying and whether you can achieve the same learning outcomes at a better price elsewhere.

Here are three more considerations to keep in mind when choosing the best AI courses.

Choose the Right Course Level for You

Some courses are designed for people learning about AI and machine learning from scratch, while others are designed for students at an intermediate or advanced level.

Advanced courses are typically designed for working professionals, while beginner and intermediate courses are designed for people either entering the workforce or making a transition into this field.

Choose a Course That Suits Your Schedule

This is particularly relevant for somebody studying AI and machine learning at an advanced level. If you are a working professional, you want to sign up for a course that does not demand too many hours from you in a week, and that does not drag out for too many months or years. You do not want the course to take too long; find a course that you can fit around your existing schedule and that you can complete at your preferred pace.

Choose a Course Provider With Credibility

It is not unusual for AI courses to have content that is outdated or even completely irrelevant to your area of study and work. As a field, AI and machine learning are constantly evolving. Your best chance of achieving the desired outcomes is by enrolling in a course that is either associated with or sanctioned by a reputable institution of learning.

In addition, you need to know that the institution you choose has your best interest at heart. If you have doubts, conduct some more due diligence or find a more trustworthy institution.

Artificial Intelligence Certifications

The best place to earn an AI or machine learning certification is from top tech companies. Companies like IBM, Google, and Microsoft have always been at the cutting edge of tech innovation. In a constantly evolving field like AI, those are the companies best placed to keep you ahead of the pack.

IBM AI Enterprise Workflow V1 Data Science Specialist

This certification is designed for experienced data scientists who have a special interest in AI. The emphasis with this program is on the process, which is seen as a bit of a departure from the more traditional certification methods. The idea is to produce more meaningful outcomes for the candidates sitting the certification exam.

Professional Machine Learning Engineer

Your future in AI would not be complete without a certification sanctioned by Google. While there are no strict requirements to sit this certification exam, having about three years of meaningful and practical experience in the field will go a long way to helping you reach your goals. Certification will demonstrate your competence with the framing of machine learning problems, machine learning solutions, and the development of machine learning models. The exam costs $200.

Azure AI Engineer Associate

Microsoft offers certifications in cloud services, development, machine learning, and AI. This Microsoft AI certification is a fairly new option, symbolic of a tech industry that is constantly evolving. Certification here demonstrates competence with cognitive service, computer vision, language processing, and mining solutions. This exam costs $165.

Next Steps After Finishing Your Course

When you finish your AI course, the next step should be to gain some relevant experience. That can be achieved by getting an internship or permanent job with an AI-related company or joining a research team.

Securing employment might sometimes require a certification. It would be in your best interests to pursue an AI certification before or during your job hunt.

Even when you do find work and gain practical experience, you need to be aware that the world of AI is constantly evolving. To avoid getting left behind, you should stay up-to-date on all of the most relevant and recent changes in technology. This can be through a course, certification, or personal research.

The Bottomline

AI is now a well-established field of study and work. However, there are still so many questions that need to be answered about the future of AI in our lives. By pursuing a career in AI you have an opportunity to contribute to the discussion in one form or another.

There are psychological, neurobiological, and ethical questions. All of them need to be addressed to help determine the relevance of AI in the world today.



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