For years, the road to AI (let’s call them Generation 1 and 2) ran mainly through universities. But with the internet boom, the third generation of AI became accessible to everyone; suddenly, knowledge was no longer locked behind academic walls.
Today, we see a flood of tutorials on YouTube and online learning platforms offering “AI in a few hours” — sometimes even “AI in minutes with no code.” But is that really possible?
The answer is both Yes and No. Here’s the path I personally recommend for anyone interested in diving into AI:
- Take proper courses: Invest at least 8–10 hours in courses that cover the fundamentals of all three generations of AI. It’s time well spent and far more valuable than shortcuts.
- Decide what you want to build: Do you want to create an application or a web app? Your choice here will shape the tools and languages you learn.
- Pick your programming language: Despite the hype, there’s no such thing as a serious “no-code” AI project. Even with AI platforms, you’ll often need — or at least benefit from — writing code. Python is generally more mature and better for standalone applications, while JavaScript is Better for web apps. There are Java and C++ as other alternatives, too.
- Select your platform: From TensorFlow and Watson to Zapier and Cursor, there are dozens of AI libraries, tools, platforms and agents. The best choice depends on what you decided in step 2.
- Don’t stop at “it works”: Just because your program runs doesn’t mean it’s done. Adding sufficient UI, proper error handling, reporting, and optimization are in most cases a more important part of any app. Don't assume that you are done; G-AI makes mistakes, a lot of mistakes! These are what make your project usable in the real world.
A recommended path forward:
Take a solid course on Generative AI and its advanced topics. Understand how nodes, edges, and different network types work. For most, the AI journey will end with building a web app, where JavaScript shines. As for platforms, I recommend exploring n8n since it strikes a good balance between writing code and connecting to external applications.
Good luck on your AI journey!