AI Courses

Learn AI Technology

There are numerous AI courses and tutorials available online, catering to different skill levels and interests, many offerred free of charge. You've heard about AI, but how much do you really know? Learn more about this technology from these course providers.

🎓 Core Categories of AI Courses

🧠 Foundations of Artificial Intelligence

These courses introduce the essential concepts behind modern AI.

Typical topics include:

- What AI is and how it works
- Machine learning vs. deep learning
- Neural networks
- Data, training, and evaluation
- Ethical considerations

Great for beginners or anyone building a broad curriculum.

📊 Machine Learning (ML)

ML courses focus on algorithms that learn from data.

Common modules:

- Supervised vs. unsupervised learning
- Regression, classification, clustering
- Decision trees, random forests, SVMs
- Model evaluation and tuning
- Intro to Python ML libraries (scikit-learn, pandas, NumPy)

These are the backbone of most AI programs.

🧬 Deep Learning (DL)

Deep learning courses dive into neural networks and large-scale models.

Topics often include:

- Feedforward networks
- Convolutional neural networks (CNNs)
- Recurrent networks (RNNs, LSTMs)
- Transformers
- GPU acceleration
- Training large models

This is where modern AI systems (like language models) come from.

💬 Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Courses on NLP teach how machines understand and generate language.

Modules typically include:

- Tokenization and embeddings
- Language modeling
- Sentiment analysis
- Text classification
- Chatbots
- Large language models (LLMs) and prompt engineering

Perfect for anyone working with text, chatbots, or generative AI.

🎨 Generative AI (GenAI)

These courses focus on AI that creates content.

Topics include:

- Image generation
- Text generation
- Audio/music generation
- Diffusion models
- Prompt engineering
- Safety and responsible use

This is the fastest-growing category and highly relevant to your creative projects.

🧩 Applied AI / Industry-Specific AI

Courses tailored to real-world use cases:

- AI in business and productivity
- AI for education
- AI in healthcare
- AI for law and policy
- AI for creative industries
- AI for research and analysis

These are great for building practical, job-ready skills.

🔐 AI Ethics, Safety, and Policy

A growing field focused on responsible AI.

Topics include:

- Bias and fairness
- Transparency
- Safety frameworks
- Regulation and governance
- Societal impacts of AI
- Risk mitigation

Given your interest in AI history and regulation, this category aligns well with your work.

🛠️ AI Engineering & Deployment

For learners who want to build and ship AI systems.

Modules include:

- MLOps
- Model deployment
- APIs and cloud services
- Data pipelines
- Monitoring and scaling
- Security considerations

This is the "production" side of AI.

 

Sources of Courses

Simplilearn Courses

• AI Beginners Guide: An introductory course covering key concepts and applications of AI.
• Introduction to Deep Learning: Focuses on neural networks and their applications.
• Machine Learning Basics: Covers supervised and unsupervised learning, algorithms, and model assessment.
• Natural Language Processing Basics: Introduces text processing, sentiment analysis, and language models.
• TensorFlow Basics: : Teaches the fundamentals of TensorFlow for deep learning applications.

Harvard

Harvard's Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python: A comprehensive seven-week course focusing on AI algorithms and applications.

Elements of AI

• Introduction to AI: A free online course that demystifies AI, covering what it is and its implications without requiring advanced math or programming skills.
• Building AI: Focuses on the algorithms behind AI methods, recommended for those with basic Python skills.

Deep Learning AI Courses

AI For Everyone by Andrew Ng: : An introductory course designed for non-engineers to understand AI's impact on business and society.

 

Tech Companies

Some of the best sourcs of free AI training courses are tech companies working to incorporate AI in their products and services

Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals

Azure AI is a light technical course that introduces generative AI concepts and how to use Microsoft Azure's services.

IBM Skills Build

IBM offers various free resources including:

• AI Foundations: Covers the basics of AI and its applications.
• Build Your Own Chatbots: Practical experience in creating chatbots.

Amazon AWS Skill Builder

Amazon's Free AI Courses: Over 100 free and low-cost courses covering machine learning, generative AI, and foundational models.

Google AI for Everyone

A self-paced course that introduces the principles of AI and machine learning, along with real-world applications.

Intel Free Courses

Offers dozens of self-paced courses on topics such as deep learning and natural language processing.

 

🎓 Universities Offering AI Degrees

AI has moved from a specialty within computer science to a stand-alone major at many American universities. Below is a list of these institutions:

🏆 Universities Offering Dedicated AI Bachelor's Degrees

According to CNBC's 2025 report on AI majors:

- Carnegie Mellon University (CMU): First U.S. university to offer a Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence (launched in 2018).
- University of Pennsylvania (UPenn): Offers an AI major as part of its engineering programs.
- Rice University
- Arizona State University
- University of Texas at San Antonio
- Illinois Institute of Technology
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
- Purdue University
- Oregon State University
- University of Colorado Boulder
- University of Florida
- University of South Carolina
- University of Georgia

These 14 institutions currently offer full bachelor's degrees in AI, not just concentrations.

🎓 Top U.S. Universities for AI

According to U.S. News, here are the leading undergraduate AI programs within computer science departments:

- Carnegie Mellon University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Stanford University
- University of California Berkeley
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- University of Washington
- Cornell University
- University of Texas at Austin
- University of Michigan 

These schools may not all offer a stand-alone AI major, but they do offer deep AI coursework, labs, and research opportunities.

🎓 Universities Offering AI Majors, Minors, or Graduate Degrees

Business Insider's 2025 roundup confirms that many universities now offer AI majors, AI graduate degrees, or AI specializations. These are:

- University of Pennsylvania
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Rice University
- University of Texas at San Antonio
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Illinois Institute of Technology
- Oregon State University
- University of Colorado Boulder
- University of Georgia
- University of Florida
- Purdue University
- Arizona State University
- University of South Carolina

🎓 Best AI Degree Programs (General Rankings)

Learn.org's 2026 list highlights top AI degree programs across the U.S., including:

- Carnegie Mellon University
- MIT
- Stanford
- UC Berkeley
- Georgia Tech
- University of Washington
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- University of Texas at Austin
- University of Michigan
- Cornell University

 

Links

simplilearn.com/best-ai-courses-online-free-articlea>

fortune.com/education/articles/free-ai-classes-you-can-take-online/

elementsofai.com

skillsbuild.org/students/course-catalog/artificial-intelligence

ininfobip.com/blog/free-online-ai-courses

coursera.org/learn/ai-for-everyone