Deep learning is the intelligence that powers much of today's AI. It's something that will make your voice assistant recognize you, something that Netflix recommends watching next, and what self-driving cars recognize as stop signs.
And don't worry, deep learning is not as intimidating as it sounds. It is just a subset of machine learning, mimicking the way our brains think, artificial “neurons” stacked up on one another, sensing patterns and making decisions.
The people behind these smart systems are deep learning engineers, researchers, practitioners, and people who teach machines to “see”, “listen”, and “lear” from a vast amount of data.
But the good news is that you don't need to be a doctoral owner in computer science to start learning how it works. If you're learning about AI, enjoying the manipulation of data, and love building intelligent systems, there are referral classes that can prepare you for today's deep learning.
What is: Deep Learning
Deep learning is a type of machine learning that utilizes artificial neural networks, and is a computational model designed to mimic the structure of the human brain.
Below are six affordable courses to help you get started with deep learning.
1. Deep Learning Specialization – Coursera (Andrew Ng & Deeplearning.ai)
Taught by Andrew Ng, one of the most famous names in AI, this five course specialization guides the fundamentals of deep learning using Python and Tensorflow.
What you learn:
- Neural Networks and Backpropagation
- Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNS) for Computer Vision
- Sequence model for natural language processing
- Best Practices for Building Machine Learning Projects
Why take it:
This is a beginner's course. It's clear, practical, and trusted by thousands of AI experts.
2. Intro to deep learning with Pytorch – Udacity (free)
This free course teaches the basics of deep learning using Pytorch, a popular open source framework used in AI Research.
What you learn:
- Build a neural network from scratch
- Training model for image and text data
- Uses transfer learning and GPU acceleration
Why take it:
Pytorch has been widely used in the AI space these days. This course doesn't just fluff, code, and real-world examples.
3. Deep Learning for Beginners – Kaggle (Free)
This bite-sized course provided by Kaggle teaches you to build and train your first neural network using Python and Tensorflow.
What you learn:
- The basics of deep learning
- Model building with Keras
- Data and Evaluation Training
Why take it:
It's completely browser-based, and it's easy from the start, and you'll end up building your model in the first 10 minutes. Setup free.
4. Practical Deep Learning for Fast.ai Coders (Free)
This course is aimed at people who already have some experience in Python, skipping theory and quickly building high-performance deep learning models.
What you learn:
- Image classification, natural language processing
- Use Jupyter Notebook and GPU Tools
- The cutting edge techniques used by top researchers
Why take it:
If you prefer a learning-by-learning approach and need to get results quickly, this course is offered. And it's completely free and updated regularly.
5. AI for All – Coursera (free)
This is not just a course for engineers. This is something anyone who wants to (and cannot) understands that AI and deep learning can be done.
What you learn:
- How AI is affecting industry
- Ethical concerns and work trends
- Communication with AI teams and understanding terms
Why take it:
Perfect if you're not a coder, but still want to understand the role of deep learning in business, product development, or policy.
6. Introducing AI using Python on CS50 – Harvard (free)
This course combines the fundamentals of computer science with practical AI, including search algorithms, neural networks and more.
What you learn:
- Building Search Agent, Optimization Algorithm
- Creating basic neural networks and training data
- Python's real AI application
Why take it:
It's challenging, but entry-level access. It's realistic if you want to learn how AI's internal and deep learning works.
Conclusion
Deep learning enhances some of the most adoring technologies on the planet, from chat to facial recognition. And good news? You can start learning it today without investing a lot of money or going back to school.
Whatever your aspirations, just developing your next image recognition platform, working as an AI research employee, or understanding what's going on behind the magic of modern smart systems, these classes are the perfect place to start.
Start with a suitable pace, such as video lessons, browser-based coding, or project work, and see where you need it.
This is where your journey to deep learning begins.
