I've spent some time learning web development, but I'm not really enjoying it and would like to explore AI, machine learning, and automation instead. I'm not sure what to study first or how to structure the learning process. What topics, tools, courses, or projects would you recommend for someone starting from the beginning?
4 Answers
Start with Python, since it’s widely used for machine learning and automation. Once you’re comfortable with the basics, learn NumPy, pandas, and data visualization, then move into introductory machine learning with scikit-learn. Building small projects as you go will help much more than only watching tutorials.
Look for explanations and project-based material from educators such as Andrej Karpathy, and use curated AI and machine-learning reading lists to find books, lectures, and papers. A good progression would be Python fundamentals, data handling, classical machine learning, neural networks, and then a specialization such as computer vision or natural language processing.
Try not to rely on an automatically generated study plan alone. Use it to organize your learning, but compare the recommendations with established courses and books. The most useful approach is to choose a small project—like a predictor, classifier, or simple automation tool—and learn the concepts needed to build it.
A solid path is to learn the necessary math gradually: algebra, probability, statistics, and eventually some calculus and linear algebra. You don’t need to master every mathematical detail before coding, but understanding what models are doing will make the subject much easier. After that, study supervised and unsupervised learning, model evaluation, and basic neural networks.
That makes sense. I’m mainly looking for advice from people who have actually followed a learning path, so I’ll combine a structured course with small projects instead of depending entirely on an automated plan.