How do I start learning artificial intelligence & Robotics?

Question

How do I start learning AI and Robotics as a beginner?

Answer 1

I think this would depend on your current state, and what you are doing in your current state.

First is that If you are still a student:

Take up relevant courses in your college. Even if you are not in the relevant streams of CS/EE/ECE whose faculty may offer these courses, you can take the courses offered as electives.

This might be:

Linear Algebra

Machine Learning

Deep Learning

Advanced Topics in Deep Learning (Computer Vision, Natural Language Processing, Reinforcement Learning, etc.)

I think you can skip Machine Learning collectively, and directly go to Deep Learning (DL) because that is where all the fun is as far as AI and Robotics are concerned.

In fact, I helped one of my friends (who is a professor in one of the Indian Institutes) design an intro to the DL program, which just teaches enough ML to get started on DL. The course will be offered next semester, and we’ll ensure that the property is the best that we can jointly offer.

It is imperative that you do a project utilizing all the ideas in these courses using the current state-of-the-art tools that are being used in the industry, solving a problem that is of practical relevance (maybe machine translation of your native language to English and vice-versa, etc.). This makes you valuable in the job market.

If you plan to attain deep expertise in the area, MS and Ph.D. or joining a start-up is a good choice. You can also think of internships with the top educational experts in your country.

If you are already working in an independent field:

A lot of good courses/resources are being offered online. But I would recommend going to an AI/Robotics-related meet-up in your city and forming a study group. It is always prudent to learn in a group (in machine learning parlance: ensemble learning) than on your own. The pace and accuracy of learning will definitely be faster and better. You can learn AI from Intellipaat Artificial Intelligence online course in collaboration with IIT Madras and kick-start your career in AI.

A lot of DL summer schools are coming up, but don’t go to them if there is a blatant purpose of making an exorbitant amount of money out of it by the organizers. The experts in the field are readily making their lectures and slides available online. They are advocating open examination culture and accessible learning. It is all right to put in money if they will offer a valid certification that may land you a position in the AI industry. Also, it is alright to pay honestly for the effort of the lecturers and the organizers, even if documents are not being offered.