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!