Lengthy earlier than ChatGPT blasted onto the scene and sucked all of the air out of the room, there was IBM Watson. Watson itself rose to fame when, in 2011, it beat reigning champion Ken Jennings on the TV recreation present Jeopardy.
Enjoyable truth: ZDNET’s personal Steven J. Vaughn-Nichols was as soon as a clue on Jeopardy.
Anyway, again to our story. My level is that IBM has an extended historical past with AI and has not been sitting nonetheless. Its generative AI resolution, Watsonx, focuses on enabling companies to deploy and handle each conventional machine studying and generative AI, tailor-made to their distinctive wants.
I am telling you this as a result of if any firm has the cred to supply a credential on AI fundamentals, it is IBM.
IBM’s AI Fundamentals program is obtainable on its SkillsBuild studying portal. The credential takes about 10 hours to finish, throughout six programs.
As a result of I’ve lengthy had an curiosity in AI ethics (I did a thesis on AI ethics method again within the day), I took the AI ethics class. It was good.
It mentioned the problem of balancing expertise with moral accountability. Key matters included the 5 pillars of AI ethics, the significance of equity and avoiding bias, and the necessity for AI methods to be clear, explainable, and strong towards assaults. The session additionally emphasised governance, the safety of non-public information, and the importance of privateness by information minimization and differential privateness.
I subsequently took all of the programs within the credential program.
Notice: To get began, create a free account on IBM’s SkillsBuild studying portal. All the next hyperlinks to IBM’s free AI programs require you to have created an account and be logged in earlier than you should utilize them.
IBM’s free AI programs
Synthetic Intelligence Fundamentals Studying Plan: You may discover AI’s historical past, after which see the way it can change the world. Alongside the best way, you may dive deep into ways in which AI makes predictions, understands language and pictures, and learns utilizing circuits impressed by the human mind. After a hands-on simulation by which you construct and check a machine studying mannequin, you may end with recommendations on discover your profession in AI.
Introduction to Synthetic Intelligence (1 hour and quarter-hour): Lower than a century previous, AI has already undergone three waves of transformative growth. Right now it offers humanity essentially the most highly effective instruments for analyzing advanced information, not solely to search out which means but additionally to be taught with out human intervention. On this course, you may survey AI’s historical past and discover ways in which it may well make clear unstructured information.
Pure Language Processing and Pc Imaginative and prescient (1 hour and half-hour): You may already know that some AI methods can perceive human language, establish visible photos, and even create unique artwork. However are you aware how these methods do it? On this course, you may discover the idea of pure language and imaginative and prescient processing and learn the way these applied sciences drive real-world mechanisms similar to chatbots and photograph evaluation.
Machine Studying and Deep Studying (2 hours): On this course, you may see how machines can be taught and make superb, evidence-based predictions. Discover the logic behind computer systems’ means to be taught, then examine new ways in which AI methods impressed by neurons within the human mind can remedy troublesome issues.
Run AI Fashions with IBM Watson Studio (1 hour and 45 minutes): On this course, you may observe making a machine studying mannequin in a sequence of simulations, utilizing IBM Watson Studio. That is hands-on time that may enable you do precise work with AI.
AI Ethics (1 hour and 45 minutes): You may need heard about issues that come up when AI methods misread information or suggest options that mirror human prejudice. That is the course I talked about above. By means of real-world examples, you may find out about AI ethics, how they’re applied, and why AI ethics are so necessary in constructing reliable AI methods.
Your Future in AI: The Job Panorama (1 hour): Are you contemplating a profession in AI? On this course, be taught concerning the AI job market’s fast development and the abilities wanted for fulfillment on this thrilling area. You may hear how actual professionals acquired their begin, and discover sources and studying alternatives that would enable you work alongside them.
My expertise taking IBM’s AI programs
Most classes are a mixture of studying, with a couple of highlight movies thrown in. They finish with a quiz. Since you may retake the quiz time and again till you get it proper, there is no must concern check taking. I acquired many of the quizzes right on the primary strive, however when my little canine distracted me, I wound up retaking one — with no unfavourable affect on my coursework.
Every course dives into a facet of AI and helps clarify it. Unquestionably, I’ve a greater really feel for among the generative AI processes than I did earlier than taking it. Extra to the purpose, the programs had been attention-grabbing and the video lectures participating. There have been additionally some interactive experiences within the course that I discovered compelling.
A lot of the programs are vendor-agnostic, however there was a Watson course that was particular to IBM’s choices. It did not take greater than an hour or so, and whereas I am not in IBM’s goal marketplace for their providing, it wasn’t a waste of time to be taught what IBM has for AI-related options.
As I stated earlier, I favored the ethics part. In case you’re inquisitive about a job in AI, you may just like the final session, which is a full dive into what to anticipate if you wish to work on this area. It is definitely worth the worth of admission (even when the admission wasn’t free) for that session alone.
I wound up with an official certificates, which I placed on my LinkedIn profile. General, the course was an amazing expertise, and I acquired lots out of it.
Also, a couple of of you requested about signing up for the course. There was some confusion as a result of you may’t get to the course straight. You should definitely go to the primary IBM SkillBuild entry portal and create an account. Upon getting a verified account (it is free), then you may get into the programs IBM provides.
Actually, if you happen to go to this web page (you’ll want to be logged in), you may see a bunch of brief, lower than an hour, e-learning alternatives. They embody:
- What’s synthetic intelligence?
- Introduction to Generative AI
- Mastering the Artwork of Prompting
- Enhance Your Resume Writing with Generative AI
- Synthetic Intelligence in Observe
Lastly, the IBM people requested me to inform you in addition they provide a free Fundamentals of Sustainability and Know-how course. You’ll find it on SkillBuild as properly. That course additionally provides a verifiable credential.
Extra sources
That is the third article in our sequence of free studying sources for these inquisitive about exploring AI or constructing a profession round this superb expertise. You should definitely take a look at The most effective free AI programs (and whether or not AI ‘micro-degrees’ and certificates are price it) for the opposite free programs we have explored.
So, there you go. Enroll now and use your spare time to get a brand new credential. In case you take any of those programs, please report again within the feedback beneath and tell us what you suppose.
You may comply with my day-to-day challenge updates on social media. You should definitely subscribe to my weekly replace e-newsletter on Substack, and comply with me on Twitter at @DavidGewirtz, on Fb at Fb.com/DavidGewirtz, on Instagram at Instagram.com/DavidGewirtz, and on YouTube at YouTube.com/DavidGewirtzTV.
