Best Artificial Intelligence Courses And Certifications for 2024

Artificial Intelligence is booming. It has numerous business applications in finance, healthcare, smart home devices, retail, fraud detection, security surveillance, and more. Currently, it is a key technology that enables businesses to be more competitive and productive by automating repetitive tasks and gaining insights from large data sets. 

So, it's no surprise many businesses are working to implement AI in their processes and products. This skyrocketing growth of AI implementation is leading to a surge in demand for professionals with AI skills. If you are looking to build or boost your career in the AI field, you can be wondering where to get new skills, how to keep up with the pace of AI evolution, and how to prove to your possible employer that you have the necessary qualifications.

AI certifications offered by various institutions and online platforms can both equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge and enhance your resume. Such certifications may play a deciding role in the hiring process as they serve as a reliable indicator of a successful employee. Apart from helping you get a job, certification can also provide additional benefits such as staying relevant, bringing more job opportunities for promotions, and demanding higher pay.

Numerous AI certification courses are offered by reputable institutions and online platforms. There are options for beginners as well as courses for intermediate or expert-level professionals. Depending on your needs, you can choose a self-learning course or a time-bound AI certification course. Below, we are listing some of the most popular certification bodies and their best courses. 

1. Certifying Body:  DeepLearning.AI

DeepLearning.AI is an education technology company that aims to empower the global workforce to build an AI-powered future through world-class education, hands-on training, and a collaborative community.

AI for Everyone by Andrew Ng is a beginner-level, non-technical course suitable for managers, decision-makers, and businesses to help them understand AI technologies and find opportunities to apply AI to everyday challenges. The course is available only on the Coursera platform, so it is necessary to have a Coursera subscription. The program consists of 4 modules and covers common AI terms, including neural networks, machine learning, deep learning, and data science. 

Duration: 3 weeks with 2 hours per week, self-paced

Price: Free for auditing and accessing most educational materials. For hands-on exercises and a completion certificate, the price is $49/month for a Coursera subscription. 

Introduction to TensorFlow for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Deep Learning 

is another popular course offered by DeepLearning.AI. It is an intermediate-level course suitable for individuals interested in AI, ML, and DL and seeking to expand their knowledge and skills in TensorFlow, a popular open-source machine learning framework. The course is similarly available only on the Coursera platform, so you will need a Coursera subscription. Enrollment for the course requires high school-level math and experience with Python coding. The 4 module program covers essential topics such as the fundamentals of machine learning, neural networks, deep learning, and best practices for using TensorFlow. It includes hands-on practical exercises and assignments to create a basic neural network in TensorFlow, train a neural network for a computer vision application, and use convolutions to improve neural networks.

Duration: approx 18 hours, self-paced 

Price: Auditing and accessing most educational materials are free. For hands-on exercises and a completion certificate, the price is $49/month for a Coursera subscription. 

2. Certifying Body: Google

Fundamentals of Google AI for Web-Based Machine Learning is a beginner to intermediate-level certification consisting of the following 2 courses, both available via edX, an education platform:

• Google AI for Anyone is a course for anyone to learn what AI is and how it works. It lasts 4 weeks, with 2 to 3 hours per week. The program covers neural networks, how machine learning works, and how AI programming is applied to various use cases. It includes hands-on practice to experiment with data and build own AI models. 

• Google AI for JavaScript developers with TensorFlow.js is an intermediate-level course suitable for web engineers, designers, or creative thinkers looking to apply AI or use Machine Learning. Its duration is 7 weeks, with 3 to 4 hours per week. It requires a working knowledge of web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The program covers an introduction and overview of the TensorFlow.js library and the advantages of using ML in JavaScript, writing custom models from a blank canvas (Linear Regression, Convolutional Neural Network), and converting Python models to JavaScript.

Total duration: 3 months with 3 - 4 hours per week, self-paced

Price: Users can audit the course for free, with limited access to course materials. If you need to access unlimited material and receive professional certification, the price will be $299 for each course or $598 in total.

3. Certifying Body: IBM

IBM Applied AI Professional is a beginner-level course suitable for developers, managers, and AI researchers, including those with non-technical backgrounds. The course is available only on the Coursera platform, so it is necessary to have a Coursera subscription. It is a 7-course certification program that covers gaining an understanding of AI concepts, including machine learning, deep learning, and neural networks, their applications and use cases, receiving practical Python skills to work with AI, and learning how to use IBM Watson, AI services and APIs to develop and deploy chatbots and virtual assistants. 

Duration: 3 months with about 10 hours per week

Price: Auditing and accessing most educational materials are free. For hands-on exercises and a completion certificate, the price is $49/month for a Coursera subscription. 

IBM AI Engineering Professional Certificate is a top-rated intermediate-level certification suitable for professionals familiar with data science and Python. The course is similarly available only on the Coursera platform, so you will need a Coursera subscription. It is a 6-course certification program that covers deep learning, neural networks, machine learning algorithms (classification, regression, and clustering), libraries (like SciPy, ScikitLearn, Keras, PyTorch, and TensorFlow), and learning how to build, train, and deploy Deep Architectures.

Duration: 2 months with about 10 hours per week

Price: Auditing and accessing most educational materials are free. For hands-on exercises and a completion certificate, the price is $49/month for a Coursera subscription. 

4. Certifying Body: Microsoft

Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate is an intermediate to advanced certification course offered by Microsoft that targets existing AI engineers tasked with building, managing, and deploying AI solutions using Azure technologies such as Azure Cognitive Services and Azure Applied AI services. To enroll for certification, proficiency in Python and C#, knowledge of Azure AI portfolio, data storage options, and responsible AI principles are required. The program covers planning and managing Azure AI solutions, implementing decision support, computer vision, NLP, knowledge mining, document intelligence, and generative AI solutions.

Duration: About 2 months with 3 to 4 hours of learning per day, can be self-paced (free) and instructor-led training (paid)

Price: vary based on country, $165 for the USA

5. Certifying Body: ARTiBA

The Artificial Intelligence Board of America (ARTiBA) is an independent certification body offering an advanced-level Artificial Intelligence Engineer (AIE) certification program. The program suits professionals with degrees in Computer Science/IT or related fields. It covers topics such as AI and ML systems and applications, data modeling, MLP, machine learning, computer vision, image processing, human-computer interaction, and more. The certification is based on the AMDEX framework of ARTiBA, a vendor-neutral and cross-platform standard for AI and ML design and engineering. There are currently three registration tracks catering to individuals with diverse backgrounds and experience levels.  

Duration: not defined, self-paced

Price: $550

6. Certifying Body: United States Artificial Intelligence Institute

The United States Artificial Intelligence Institute (USAII) is the world's leading Artificial Intelligence certifications provider for students, professionals, organizations, institutions, academia, and governments looking to upskill and reskill their AI expertise. Their main AI certification programs

1. Certified AI Engineer (CAIE): Beginner's program, suitable for students and professionals with limited years of experience looking to headstart their careers. The program covers fundamentals of AI that include Robotics, NLP, Machine Learning Algorithms, Python, Deep Learning, and more 

Duration: 4-25 weeks with 8-10 hours of learning per week

Price: $691

2. Certified AI Consultant (CAIC): Intermediate program, suitable for mid-level professionals looking to upskill in developing techno-consulting approaches. The program covers the most contemporary knowledge framework in AI, and students are to pick up the expert-level concepts of reinforcement learning, fraud prevention with cloud AI, sentimental analytics, advanced robotics, AI workflows, and more.

Duration: 4-25 weeks with 8-10 hours of learning per week

Price: $787

3. Certified AI Scientist (CAIS): Experienced-level program, suitable for senior professionals looking to learn techno-strategic skills in AI. The program covers learning the libraries and frameworks in AI, support vector machines, deep learning frameworks, advanced convolutional neural networks, computer vision, GAN, deep Q-networks, and more.

Duration: 4-25 weeks with 8-10 hours of learning per week.

Price: $894

7. Certifying Body:  Harvard University

Harvard offers a beginner to mid-level Computer Science for Artificial Intelligence certification which consists of 2 CS50 courses at one price, both available via edX:

Introduction to Computer Science covers a profound grasp of computer science and programming, including concepts like abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development. The program allows you to get familiar with a number of languages, including C, Python, SQL, and JavaScript plus CSS and HTML. Its duration is 12 weeks, with 6 to 18 learning hours per week. 

• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python explores the concepts and algorithms at the foundation of modern AI. It is 7 weeks long and lasts 10 to 30 hours per week. The course offers hands-on projects, which can help learners gain exposure to the theory behind graph search algorithms, classification, optimization, reinforcement learning, and other topics in artificial intelligence and machine learning as they incorporate them into their Python programs.

Total duration: 5 months with 7 - 22 hours per week, self-paced

Price: Users can audit the course for free, with limited access to course materials. If you wish to access unlimited material and receive professional certification, the price will be $518

8. Certifying Body: NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute (DLI)

NVIDIA, a pioneer in accelerated computing, is known primarily for its graphics processing units (GPU), which sparked the growth of the PC gaming market, redefined computer graphics, and ignited the era of modern AI. NVIDIA Jetson is a series of embedded computing boards designed to accelerate machine learning applications. Jetson AI Certification, offered by NVIDIA's Deep Learning Institute, caters to learners of all levels, providing hands-on, project-based assessment to demonstrate proficiency using Jetson. The course requires basic familiarity with Python and Linux.

Duration: 4 to 8 hours (four hours of online content plus hands-on mini-projects)

Price: Free, but requires specific hardware

9. Certifying Body:  SuperDataScience

Artificial Intelligence A-Z 2024: Build an AI with ChatGPT4, offered by SuperDataScience

team, is one of the most popular beginner to mid-level AI courses on Udemy, a learning and teaching platform. It examines the process of building an AI, making a virtual self-driving car, and solving real-world problems. The program offers both lectures with hands-on exercises, guiding students through the coding intricacies of diverse AI models, including Q-Learning, deep Q-learning, deep convolutional Q-learning, asynchronous advantage actor-critic (A3C), and the refinement of a pre-trained large language model (LLM). Students explore diverse applications of these models and learn how to solve real-world problems with AI.

Duration: 17 hours, self-paced

Price: $20 per month (personal plan) or $149.99 course purchase fee

10. Certifying Body:  Udacity Nanodegree

Udacity, an online learning platform, offers several nanodegree programs, with the Udacity Artificial Intelligence Course being one of the most popular courses that suit beginners. The program covers AI algorithms and graph search algorithms, with techniques like depth-first, breadth-first, and informed search with heuristics. It also covers automated planning with symbolic logic, modern automation, and improvement optimization problems programmers face when implementing AI in real-world environments. Though beginner-friendly, this course requires some basic knowledge of statistics, linear algebra, and Python with object-oriented programming.

Duration: 3 months

Price: You can pay $245 per month or access the whole 3-month course for an up-front payment of $846.

When selecting an AI certification there are several factors you should take into consideration. First and foremost, assess your current skills and career aspirations, whether you aim for leadership, niche specialization, or transitioning into data science. Then, review course content to ensure alignment with industry trends and your goals, and opt for courses that have a blend of theory and practical tasks. Verify the platform's and certification reliability and value. Next, assess if you can spare time required to complete the course considering your current professional and personal responsibilities. Additionally, consider the ratio between investments required and potential career benefits. And finally, don't forget that the reasons behind receiving an AI certification shouldn't be just pointing it in your resume, but rather a sincere pursuit of knowledge and skill development.