Long before ChatGpt exploded into the scene and breathed all the air from the room, there was IBM Watson. Watson itself gained fame in 2011 when he defeated champion Ken Jennings on the video game show Jeopardy.
Fun fact: Zdnet's own Steven J. Vaughnichols was once a clue to Jeopardy.
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Anyway, let's go back to our topic. My point is that IBM has a long history with AI and doesn't sit still. Its generative AI solution, Watsonx, focuses on enabling businesses to deploy and manage both traditional machine learning and generator AI tailored to their unique needs.
Because it's IBM if you have the trustworthiness to provide AI Fundamentals credentials.
IBM's AI Fundamentals program is available in the SkillsBuild Learning Portal. The credentials take approximately 10 hours for six courses.
I've been interested in AI ethics for a long time (I did a paper on the AI Ethics Way that day), so I took the AI Ethics class. good.
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We discussed the challenge of balancing technology and ethical responsibility. Key topics included five pillars of AI ethics, the importance of fairness and bias avoidance, and the ability of AI systems to be transparent, explainable and robust to attack. This session also highlighted the importance of governance, personal data protection and privacy through data minimization and discriminatory privacy.
I then took all the courses in the Qualification Program.
Note: To get started, create a free account in IBM's SkillsBuild Learning Portal. All of the following links to IBM's free AI courses require you to create an account and log in before using it.
IBM's Free AI Course
Basic Artificial Intelligence Learning Plan: Explore the history of AI and see how it can change the world. Along the way, we dive deeper into how AI makes predictions, understand language and images, and learn using circuits inspired by the human brain. After a hands-on simulation of building and testing machine learning models, tips on how to find a career in AI are finished.
Introducing artificial intelligence (1 hour 15 minutes): Within a century, AI has already undergone the transformational development of three waves. Today, it gives humanity the most powerful tool to analyze complex data. Not only can you find meaning, you can also learn without human intervention. This course explores the history of AI and explores ways to shed light on unstructured data.
Natural Language Processing and Computer Vision (1 hour and 30 minutes): You may already know that some AI systems can understand human language, identify visual images, and create original art. But do you know how these systems do that? This course explores theories of natural language and visual processing and learns how these technologies facilitate real mechanisms such as chatbots and photoanalysis.
Machine learning and deep learning (2 hours): This course shows how machines can learn and create surprising evidence-based predictions. By exploring the logic behind computer learning capabilities and investigating AI systems inspired by neurons in the human brain, we can solve difficult problems.
Run AI models in IBM Watson Studio (1 hour 45 minutes): This course uses IBM Watson Studio to practice creating machine learning models in a series of simulations. This is a practical time that will help you do real work with AI.
AI Ethics (1 hour 45 minutes): You may have heard of problems that arise when AI systems misinterpret data or suggest solutions that reflect human bias. This is the course I mentioned above. Through practical examples, you will learn about AI ethics, how they are implemented, and why AI ethics are so important in building trustworthy AI systems.
Your future with AI: Work landscape (1 hour): Are you considering a career in AI? In this course, you will learn about the rapid growth of the AI job market and the skills required to succeed in this exciting field. You will hear how real-life experts get off to the start, find resources and learning opportunities, and help them work with them.
My experience taking an AI course at IBM
Most sessions are a reading combination, with some spotlight videos being thrown in. They end with a quiz. You don't have to be afraid of a test take, as you can repeat it over and over again until you get it right. I did most of the quiz right on my first attempt, but when my little dog was distracted, I tried it again – there was no negative impact on my coursework.
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Each course is divided into aspects of AI and helps explain it. No doubt I have a better feel for some generative AI processes than before I took it. More importantly, the course was interesting and the video lectures were fascinating. The course also included some interactive experiences that I found to be compelling.
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Most courses depend on vendors, but there were Watson courses specific to IBM's offerings. It didn't take an hour or so, but it wasn't offered to IBM's target market, but learning what IBM has to do with AI-related solutions was not a waste of time.
Like I said, I liked the Ethics section. If you're interested in working in AI, you'll like the final session. This dives completely into what you would expect if you wanted to work in this field. That session alone is worth it (free or free admission).
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I got caught up in an official certificate and put it on my LinkedIn profile. Overall, this course was an amazing experience and I got a lot from it.
Also: I changed five chatgpt settings and quickly became productive
Some of you asked about signing up for the course. There was confusion as I couldn't get to the course directly. Please visit the main IBM Skill Build Entry Portal and create an account. Once you have a verified account (free), you will have access to courses offered by IBM.
In fact, when you visit this page (you need to log in), you will see a bunch of e-learning opportunities that are shorter than an hour. They are:
- What is artificial intelligence?
- Introducing Generating AI
- Master the techniques of prompts
- Improve your resume writing with Generated AI
- Actual artificial intelligence
Finally, people at IBM asked me to let them know that they also offer a free basis for sustainability and technology courses. You can also find it in SkillBuild. The course also provides verifiable credentials.
More resources
This is the third article in a series of free learning resources for those interested in exploring AI or building a career around this incredible technology. Be sure to check out Best Free AI Courses (and whether AI “microdegrey” and certificates are valuable) We explored other free courses.
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So you're going there. Sign up now and use your free time to earn new credentials. If you have filmed any of these courses, please report in the comments below and let us know what you think.
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