Well... Today, with the internet, almost anyone can create online courses, that's a positive thing, but some people use dark marketing to attract people. So if a course promises "becoming rich with AI", it's a red flag. They are normally expensive, and they just provide step by step rather than teaching how it works (which is my goal). What I do instead, as AI is complex and has lots of approaches, is just researching some tools or specific topics to go deeper (I will talk about it later), and then, check if the tool you want to learn about has official documentation or video-tutorials (most of them do). For example, I was really curious about automating chatbots, and I discovered that one of the most popular tools was N8N, so using official guides I was able to learn and set up mine. I really learned by testing, not by following courses/guides, and I encourage you to do it. It is true that for finding a job, they normally look for certificates, but for me, it is the best way. Also, consider some platforms (Coursera/Udemy) that offer certified courses.
Whether an AI tutorial or an AI course is worthwhile depends not only on the topic, but above all on your current situation, your goals and your learning style. To help you decide, you can ask yourself the following questions: 1. What do you want to achieve? Do you just want to use AI, or do you want to understand it, adapt it or even develop it yourself? If you want to build up skills in the long term, a structured course is worthwhile. 2. What is your starting level? If you are a beginner or have little previous experience, a well- structured AI tutorial or even a beginner's course can be very valuable. It saves time and gives you a clear starting point. If you are more advanced, you can use specific tutorials or short learning lessons. 3. How much time can you realistically invest? If you can spare 30-60 minutes per week, a micro- course is usually sufficient. If, on the other hand, you can spare several hours per week, a comprehensive course with structure, feedback and exercises is worthwhile. 4. What is your preferred learning style? If you learn better or prefer to learn with guidance, exercises and interaction, then a course is better. If you are highly self-motivated and want to learn specific topics, tutorials are usually sufficient. 5. What are your requirements? If you need a certificate for your job or as proof of training for your CV, an official course with a certificate is naturally more worthwhile than a free tutorial. 6. Is a course worthwhile? This raises the question of quality. A course is only worthwhile if it is practice-oriented, uses current tools and offers exercises and feedback. Cost alone is not an indicator of quality. 7. Is free content sufficient? You can start with free tutorials. If you feel motivated and understand the content easily and quickly, then an official course on these topics is also worthwhile.
I primarily look for up-to-date content, practical value, and a strong connection to real-world applications. In the field of AI, tools evolve very quickly, so outdated material is often of limited use. I am also particularly interested in specialized topics or niche tools that can offer new perspectives even to experienced users. What matters most to me is whether a course is outcome-oriented and enables participants to leave with concrete skills, knowledge, or results they can apply in practice.
I'm checking the reviews and the course syllabus to see if the knowledge will be useful in a real-world work setting.
I see what I'm supposed to learn and make a judgement of whether that's useful information or skill for me and then I decide if the time and or money I have to spend for it is worth it.
