Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the hottest and most impactful fields of technology today. It is transforming industries, creating new opportunities, and solving real-world problems. Whether you want to pursue a career in AI, enhance your current skills, or simply satisfy your curiosity, learning AI can be rewarding and fun.
But how can you learn AI without spending a fortune? Is it possible to get a certificate in AI for free? The answer is yes! There are many free online courses and programs that can teach you the basics of AI and help you earn a certificate. You can learn from top universities, reputable platforms, and industry experts at your own pace and convenience.
In this blog post, we will share with you some of the best free AI courses and certifications available online. We will also provide you with some tips and resources for learning AI for free. By the end of this post, you will have a clear idea of how to start your AI journey without breaking the bank.
Table of Contents
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Before we dive into the free AI courses and certifications, let’s first understand what artificial intelligence is and why it is important.
Artificial intelligence is the science and engineering of creating machines or software that can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as reasoning, learning, decision making, perception, communication, etc.
Artificial intelligence has many applications and benefits in various domains, such as:
- Healthcare: AI can help diagnose diseases, recommend treatments, monitor patients, discover drugs, etc.
- Education: AI can help personalize learning, assess students, tutor students, create content, etc.
- Business: AI can help optimize operations, analyze data, automate tasks, enhance customer service, etc.
- Entertainment: AI can help create games, music, art, movies, etc.
- Social good: AI can help tackle global challenges, such as poverty, hunger, climate change, etc.
Artificial intelligence is also a fast-growing and lucrative field. According to a report by Gartner
- The global AI market size is expected to grow from $58.3 billion in 2021 to $309.6 billion by 2026
- The global demand for AI talent is expected to grow by 16% annually
- The average salary for an AI engineer in the US is $114,121 per year
Therefore, learning AI can be a great way to boost your career prospects, increase your income potential, and make a positive impact on the world.
Where to Learn AI for Free?
There are many ways to learn AI for free online. You can enroll in free online courses and certifications that cover various topics and levels of difficulty in AI. You can also use various tips and resources to enhance your learning experience and stay updated with the latest developments in AI.
In this section, we will explore some of the best free online courses and certifications that can teach you the basics of AI and help you earn a certificate. We will categorize them into three types:
- Free AI courses with certificate
- Free AI courses from top universities
- Free AI certifications from reputable platforms
Let’s look at each type in detail.
Free AI Courses with Certificate
One of the best ways to learn AI for free is to enroll in an online courses that offer a certificate upon completion. A certificate can help you showcase your skills, boost your resume, and impress potential employers or clients. However, not all online courses offer a free certificate. Some platforms charge a fee for issuing a certificate or verifying your identity.
Fortunately, there are some platforms that offer free AI courses with certification. Here are some examples:
- Elements of AI: This is one of the most popular free online AI courses with a certificate. It is created by the University of Helsinki and Reaktor, and available on Google Digital Garage. The course is a beginner-level course that aims to demystify AI and make it clear and easy to understand. To earn a free certificate, you need to complete at least 90% of the exercises and get at least 50% of them right. The course is available in multiple languages and has more than 500,000 students from more than 170 countries.
- Alison: This is another platform that offers free AI courses with certification. Alison does not charge a fee for the certificate unlike Coursera or edX. The duration of these courses can vary from a few weeks to a year. Some examples of free AI courses on Alison are:
- Artificial Intelligence – Machine Learning
- Artificial Intelligence – Neural Networks
- Artificial Intelligence – Speech Recognition
- Artificial Intelligence – Computer Vision
- Great Learning: This is a platform that provides a free live platform to learn and understand AI and a certificate on successful completion. Some examples of free AI courses on Great Learning are:
- Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
- Introduction to Deep Learning
- Introduction to Tensorflow and Keras
- Computer Vision Essentials
- Microsoft: Microsoft has recently launched a new generative AI skill training course for free. Through this course, workers will learn introductory concepts of AI, including a look at responsible AI frameworks, and receive a Career Essentials certificate upon completion.
Free AI Courses from Top Universities
Another way to learn AI for free is to enroll in online courses from top universities. These courses are usually taught by professors or researchers who are experts in their fields. They cover various topics and levels of difficulty, from beginner to advanced. They also provide high-quality content, assignments, quizzes, and peer feedback.
However, most of these courses do not offer a free certificate. You can audit them for free, which means you can access the course materials and videos without paying anything. But if you want to get a certificate or submit assignments or quizzes, you need to pay a fee.
Here are some examples of free AI courses from top universities that you can audit for free:
- Harvard: Harvard offers an online course called CS50’s Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python. This course explores the concepts and algorithms at the foundation of modern artificial intelligence, diving into the ideas that give rise to technologies like game-playing engines, handwriting recognition, and machine translation. The course is self-paced and takes about 7 weeks to complete.
- Stanford: Stanford offers an online course called Machine Learning. This course provides a broad introduction to machine learning, data mining, and statistical pattern recognition. Topics include supervised learning, unsupervised learning, learning theory, reinforcement learning, and best practices in machine learning. The course is self-paced and takes about 11 weeks to complete.
- MIT: MIT offers an online course called Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science. This course introduces students to the essential ideas of computational thinking and data science. Topics include optimization, simulation, machine learning, data visualization, and social network analysis. The course is self-paced and takes about 9 weeks to complete.
- University of Helsinki: The University of Helsinki offers an online course called Building AI. This course teaches students how to create AI applications using Python. Topics include natural language processing, computer vision, reinforcement learning, and generative models. The course is self-paced and takes about 6 weeks to complete.
Free AI Certifications from Reputable Platforms
A third way to learn AI for free is to enroll in online certifications from reputable platforms. These certifications are usually designed by industry experts or partners who have extensive experience and knowledge in AI. They provide a structured and comprehensive curriculum that covers various skills and topics related to AI. They also provide assessments, projects, and feedback that help you measure your progress and apply your learning.
However, most of these certifications are not completely free. You can enroll in them for free, which means you can access the course materials and videos without paying anything. But if you want to get a certificate or submit assessments or projects, you need to pay a fee.
Here are some examples of free AI certifications from reputable platforms that you can enroll in for free:
- Coursera: Coursera offers several online certifications in AI from various partners such as IBM, Google Cloud, deeplearning.ai, and more. Some examples are:
- IBM Applied AI Professional Certificate
- TensorFlow Developer Professional Certificate
- DeepLearning.AI TensorFlow Developer Professional Certificate
- Google IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate
- edX: edX offers several online certifications in AI from various partners such as Microsoft, Columbia University, Berkeley University of California, and more. Some examples are:
- Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals
- Artificial Intelligence MicroMasters Program
- Professional Certificate in Foundations of Data Science
- Professional Certificate in Machine Learning
- LinkedIn: LinkedIn offers several online certifications in AI from various partners such as Microsoft, IBM, Google Cloud, and more¹¹. Some examples are:
- Microsoft Generative AI Skill Training Course
- IBM Artificial Intelligence Engineering
- Google Cloud Artificial Intelligence Professional Certificate
- Artificial Intelligence Foundations
Tips and Resources for Learning AI for Free
Learning AI for free can be challenging but rewarding. You need to be motivated, disciplined, and curious. You also need to find the right resources and tools that suit your needs and goals. Here are some tips and resources that can help you learn AI for free:
- Join online communities: Online communities are great places to connect with other learners, experts, mentors, and enthusiasts who share your interest in AI. You can ask questions, get feedback, share ideas, find opportunities, and learn from others’ experiences. Some examples of online communities related to AI are:
- Reddit: r/artificial
- Stack Overflow: artificial-intelligence
- Kaggle: kaggle.com
- Quora: quora.com/topic/Artificial-Intelligence
- Follow blogs and podcasts: Blogs and podcasts are great sources of information and inspiration for learning AI. You can stay updated with the latest trends, developments, researches, applications, and challenges in AI. You can also learn from the insights, opinions, stories, and advice of experts and practitioners in AI. Some examples of blogs and podcasts related to AI are:
- Blog: Towards Data Science
- Blog: Machine Learning Mastery
- Blog: OpenAI Blog
- Podcast: Artificial Intelligence Podcast with Lex Fridman
- Podcast: Data Skeptic Podcast
- Podcast: The TWIML AI Podcast
- Take quizzes and projects: Quizzes and projects are great ways to test your knowledge and skills in AI. You can also learn by doing and applying what you have learned in real-world scenarios. Quizzes and projects can also help you prepare for exams or interviews related to AI. Some examples of quizzes and projects related to AI are:
- Quiz: Artificial Intelligence Quiz by Sanfoundry
- Quiz: Artificial Intelligence Quiz by Alison
- Project: Build a Chatbot with Python by Codecademy
- Project: Build a Face Recognition System with Python
Conclusion
Learning AI for free is possible and beneficial. You can access a variety of free online courses and certifications that can teach you the basics of AI and help you earn a certificate. You can learn from top universities, reputable platforms, and industry experts at your own pace and convenience. You can also use various tips and resources to enhance your learning experience and stay updated with the latest developments in AI.
We hope this blog post has helped you find the best free AI courses and certifications for your needs and goals. We encourage you to take action and start learning AI for free today. You will not regret it!
If you have any feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
Happy learning! 😊
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