I'm a high school student who just started programming this year. I've been learning Django over the summer and I'm really enjoying it, but I've also been hearing suggestions to dive into building LLMs using Python instead. Is it still beneficial for me to learn web development early on, or should I focus on sharpening my AI skills?
5 Answers
I’d recommend learning web development first, but definitely try your hand at AI as well. A lot of the cool models from companies like Google have APIs that you can play around with. The thing is, building your own LLM models is a big commitment and most of us are actually just using AI through APIs instead of training the models ourselves. So, keep at the web dev stuff—there’s a bunch to learn there. Experiment with AI in a low-pressure way to see how you can use it for specific tasks. If it adds value, awesome! If not, just stick to what works for you.
Just do what you find fun! If you dive into LLMs now, by the time you graduate, the job market might shift towards something even newer, like quantum computing. Follow your interests, and that will keep you motivated to learn!
Definitely stick with web development for now. It provides a strong foundation and once you're comfortable with the basics, transitioning to AI later on will be much easier.
It really depends on your future plans. Think about what you want to do after high school. If web development aligns better with your goals, that might be the way to go.
Honestly, web development still has way more job opportunities available—like, 1,000 times more! Most programmers involved in ML also know some web development, even if that's not their main focus. ML is growing, but it’s still pretty niche. The high-paying jobs often go to those with advanced degrees in math and coding. If you're aiming for those roles, it's a long road ahead. Meanwhile, becoming a developer who knows how to integrate ML models into apps is becoming more common.
Thanks for the advice! I think I'll balance both for now.