Best AI courses online in 2025

AI is everywhere nowadays, creating new jobs and boosting the existing ones. Hype train aside, it's the perfect time to explore and learn more about the AI tech. It can help you find your true calling, kickstart a seamless career switch, or stay relevant in your area.

The AI boom had me analyzing dozens of available courses with the help of our dedicated research team. I focused on factors like relevance, flexibility, expertise of the instructors, and accreditation.

After reviewing and comparing the best online AI courses, I've narrowed it down to seven top options. Keep reading to see my full comparison and find the program that fits your goals and experience level.

Best AI courses online – shortlist

1. Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) – best AI course overall
2. AI for everyone – best for beginners interested in machine learning
3. AI in Education: Leveraging ChatGPT for teaching – the best AI course for teachers
4. Fundamentals of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence – best for AI hobbyists and enthusiasts
5. IBM AI Developer Professional Certificate – best for aspiring AI developers
6. Artificial Intelligence – the best program for starting a career in AI
7. AI for Business Specialization – best for business owners

The best AI courses online compared

Before diving into individual reviews, let's compare my top picks side by side. The table below provides an easy way to see differences in their features, price, and suitability.

Program name	Fee	Rating	Number of modules/courses	Duration	Difficulty level	Certificate	Best for
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI)	Part of seven different courses	4.7 (18,097 reviews)	4 modules	Approx. 12 hours	Beginner	✅ Yes (Audit mode available)	AI beginners
AI for Everyone	$49	4.8 (46,820 reviews)	4 modules	Approx. 6 hours	Beginner	✅ Yes (Audit mode available)	Beginners interested in deep learning and machine learning
AI in Education: Leveraging ChatGPT for teaching	$29	4.7 (129 reviews)	4 modules	Approx. 5 hours	Beginner	✅ Yes (Audit mode available)	Teachers
Fundamentals of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence	Free	4.4 (342 reviews)	1 module	Approx. 1 hour	Beginner	❌ No	AI enthusiasts
IBM AI Developer Professional Certificate	Available with Coursera's premium subscription	4.6 (9,812 reviews)	10 courses	6 months, 4 hours a week	Beginner	✅ Yes (Audit options available)	Aspiring AI developers
Artificial Intelligence	$49	4.5 (20 reviews)	9 modules	Approx. 58 hours	Beginner	✅ Yes (Audit mode available)	Starting a career in AI
AI for Business Specialization	Available with Coursera's premium subscription	4.7 (1,197 reviews)	4 courses	1 month, 10 hours a week	Beginner	✅ Yes (Audit mode available)	Business owners

7 best AI courses online – our detailed list

Now, let's analyze the best AI online courses and see how they can help you with your goals in this exciting field.

1. Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) – best AI online course overall

Program name:	Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
Fee:	Part of seven different courses
Number of modules/courses:	4 modules with videos, readings, assignments, app items, discussion prompts, and plugins
Duration:	Around 12 hours
Difficulty level:	Beginner
Certificate:	Yes (optional)
Best for:	AI beginners

Check price on Coursera

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence is by far the best option for complete beginners. It'll introduce you to the core principles of AI and outline its applications and impact across various fields. It's a part of seven Coursera programs, and you can pick which certificate works for you.

The course is taught by Rav Ahuja, CCO and Global Program Director at IBM Skills Network. You can learn at your own pace in 24 languages and get a certificate you can add to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. If you don't want certification, you can also audit the course.

What you'll learn:

• Core AI concepts and terminology
• Real-world AI application
• The effects of AI applications and use cases
• Issues, limitations, and ethical concerns surrounding AI

2. AI for Everyone – best for deep learning and machine learning beginners

Program name:	AI for Everyone
Fee:	$49
Number of modules/courses:	4 modules with videos, readings, assignments, and app items
Duration:	Around 6 hours
Difficulty level:	Beginner
Certificate:	Yes (optional)
Best for:	Beginners interested in deep learning and machine learning

Check price on Coursera

AI for Everyone is my top pick for deep learning and machine learning beginners. It covers the basic concepts with a strong focus on business applications. So, if you want to help companies work smarter, make faster decisions, and track patterns humans might miss, this is the perfect place to start.

The course is taught by Andrew Ng, Founder of DeepLearning.AI, General Partner at AI Fund, and Co-Founder of Coursera. It's a unique opportunity to learn about machine learning from one of its pioneers.

What you'll learn:

• Core concepts of deep learning and machine learning
• The possibilities and limitations of deep and machine learning
• Building AI projects and common pitfalls to avoid
• Social aspects of AI

3. AI in Education: Leveraging ChatGPT for teaching – the best AI course for teachers

Program name:	AI in Education: Leveraging ChatGPT for teaching
Fee:	$29
Number of modules/courses:	4 modules with videos, readings, assignments, and discussion prompts
Duration:	Around 5 hours
Difficulty level:	Beginner
Certificate:	Yes (optional)
Best for:	Teachers

Check price on Coursera

AI in Education is the best course for teachers and other educators looking to enhance their craft with AI. It'll not only teach you how to use ChatGPT to challenge your students, but also give you tools to teach them about AI.

The instructor is Ethan Mollick, a distinguished academic researcher focusing on the effects of AI on work, entrepreneurship, and education. The course was recently updated, the materials are available in five languages, and you can get a shareable certificate or opt for audit mode. Premium users will have to complete four assignments for certification.

What you'll learn:

• Core concepts of AI in education
• Application of ChatGPT in education
• ChatGPT prompting
• Building AI exercises for students

4. Fundamentals of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence – best for AI enthusiasts

Program name:	Fundamentals of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
Fee:	Free
Number of modules/courses:	1 module
Duration:	Around 1 hour
Difficulty level:	Beginner
Certificate:	No
Best for:	AI enthusiasts

Check price on Coursera

This program is ideal if you want to learn the AI basics without necessarily making it your future career. It will teach you the core concepts of AI, machine learning, deep learning, and generative AI, and explore the connections between them.

Since the course is provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS), you'll also learn about some of their service that use AI and ML. The reading will give you practical insights into these tools and show you how they can be used to solve real-world problems.

The course consists of one reading material and a self-reflective quiz. You can take it for free, but you'll get no certificate after finishing. The materials are only available in English at the moment.

What you'll learn:

• Core AI concepts
• Machine learning basics

5. IBM AI Developer Professional Certificate – best for Aspiring AI developers

Program name:	IBM AI Developer Professional Certificate
Fee:	Available with Coursera's premium subscription
Number of modules/courses:	10 courses
Duration:	6 months, 4 hours a week
Difficulty level:	Beginner
Certificate:	Yes
Best for:	Aspiring AI developers

Check price on Coursera

This course is the best option if you want to become an AI developer. Its professional-level training will enable you to design, develop, and implement AI and genAI-powered apps and virtual assistants. You'll go over the fundamentals of software engineering, AI, generative AI, prompt engineering, HTML, JavaScript, Python, and much more.

After finishing the course, you'll get a Professional Certificate from Coursera and a digital badge from IBM. If you enroll in an online degree program, you might be able to use your Professional Certificate for credit. In short, you'll get enough knowledge to build a portfolio and kickstart a career in AI in just six months.

What you'll learn:

• Machine learning
• Machine learning algorithms
• Applied machine learning
• Deep learning
• Artificial neural networks
• Computer programming
• Software engineering
• Cloud computing
• Computer vision
• Human-computer interaction

6. Artificial Intelligence – the best course to start your AI career

Program name:	Artificial Intelligence
Fee:	$49
Number of modules/courses:	9 modules
Duration:	around 58 hours
Difficulty level:	Beginner
Certificate:	Yes
Best for:	Starting a career in AI

Check price on Coursera

This 9-module course is designed to help you kickstart a career in AI by providing deeper insights into AI's business applications. If you're already studying business, this program is an absolute must since the completed coursework may count toward your degree.

The course is taught by Siva Balasubramanian, Associate Dean and Professor of Marketing at Illinois Tech's School of Business. It takes around 58 hours to finish, but you can do it at your own pace. If you want a certificate from this program, you'll have to go through 33 assessments total. The materials are currently available in nine languages.

What you'll learn:

• The basics of AI in a business setting
• Machine learning concepts
• Technologies behind AI
• Human-AI collaboration across various industries
• AI's impact on businesses
• Generative AI
• AI ethics

7. AI for Business Specialization – the best AI course for business owners

Program name:	AI for Business Specialization
Fee:	Available with Coursera's premium subscription
Number of modules/courses:	4 courses
Duration:	1 month, 10 hours a week
Difficulty level:	Beginner
Certificate:	Yes
Best for:	Business owners

Check price on Coursera

AI for Business Specialization is the best option if you already have a business and want to enhance it with AI. The 4-course structure will teach you about AI fundamentals, AI applications in marketing, finance, and people management, and AI strategy and governance.

The best part of this course is the fact that it was designed for non-data scientists. So, you won't need any prior AI experience to reap its full benefits. You'll gain relevant insights into crucial aspects of any business, from boosting the customer journey to using AI and ML in HR management. The program features eight instructors, all University of Pennsylvania Professors.

What you'll learn:

• Leadership and management
• Business analysis
• Decision making
• Human resources
• People analysis
• Algorithms
• Data analysis
• Machine learning (and ML algorithms)
• Applied machine learning

How did we select the best AI courses?

During my search for the best AI online courses, I primarily focused on these essentials:

• Industry relevance: I wanted fresh, up-to-date programs that cover current AI trends, tools, and best practices.
• Certification and accreditation: Reputable platforms provide recognized certifications, which could help you in your job search.
• Expert instructors: I was looking for AI courses taught by professionals with hands-on experience.
• Flexibility and accessibility: The best AI courses are self-paced and easy to fit into your daily schedule. I also wanted to provide a range of options, suited to complete beginners and advanced AI enthusiasts alike.
• Community and support: I prioritized platforms with peer forums, mentor support, or Q&A help.
• Student feedback: Strong ratings, positive reviews, and real results in job placement or skill improvement were strong ranking factors for me. They allowed me to gauge the overall effectiveness of the course.

What is AI, and why is it important?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science focused on building systems that can think, learn, and make decisions like humans. Instead of just following instructions, AI can analyze data, recognize patterns, and improve over time.

Some of the core concepts include:

• Machine learning helps the system learn from data and improve through experience.
• Deep learning mimics the human brain with layered neural networks.
• Natural language processing (NLP) lets machines understand and respond to human language.
• Automation allows AI to handle repetitive and complex tasks with minimal human input.

AI has found wide application in modern industries, including tech, healthcare, finance, transportation, and many others. It can do anything from powering search engines and helping with diagnostics to detecting financial fraud and optimizing routes for self-driving cars. That's why I recommend getting into AI as soon as possible and future-proofing your relevance in the job market.

What are the benefits of AI courses?

Here are some of the most important benefits of AI courses:

• Career growth: AI jobs are on the rise. There's high demand, and the salary potential is excellent.
• Skill enhancement: Learning about AI will keep you relevant and competitive, whether you're an engineer, data analyst, or marketer.
• Problem solving: You'll learn how to automate repetitive tasks, create smart tools, and make data-driven decisions.
• Innovation opportunity: AI courses can give you the skills to explore cutting-edge areas like generative models, robotics, and predictive analytics.
• Flexibility and accessibility: Finding the time to learn something new is never easy. That's why I mostly picked self-paced and beginner-friendly courses. Affordability was also one of my main ranking factors.

These benefits make AI courses a low-barrier way to enter one of the most dynamic and impactful tech fields. You can learn at your own pace and apply that knowledge almost anywhere.

How to choose the best AI course for your needs?

When looking for the best AI course for you, I recommend focusing on the following factors:

• Your current skill level: Are you a complete beginner, intermediate learned, or advanced user?
• Course type: Are you looking for a certification program, theory-heavy lessons, or hands-on projects?
• Instructor background: I recommend courses offered by accredited institutions and taught by industry experts.
• Learning platform: Is your course hosted on a reliable platform with good support and an active community?
• Course duration and time commitment: Make sure the course fits your schedule and learning pace.
• Career goals: Are you learning for fun, upskilling, or a full career switch?

These factors will help you eliminate the courses that don't fit your experience, learning style, and long-term goals. After that, you can simply pick one you like the most, knowing it'll meet your needs and preferences.

Final word on best AI courses

Learning about AI is one of the best things you could be doing right now. The AI job market is skyrocketing, and the demand is higher than ever. Even "regular" jobs are starting to incorporate AI to automate repetitive tasks, provide customer support, and analyze data. The common phrase "don't get left behind" is ringing truer than ever.

Taking an online AI course is the perfect place to start, but you have to pick the right program that fits your objectives and skill level. I carefully analyzed all my top picks with the help of the Cybernews research team. I only included the best and most impactful programs to make the next step on your learning journey as easy as possible.

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