Roadmaps/AI & Machine Learning Engineer
AI & ML100% Free Resources 10–14 Weeks

AI & Machine Learning Engineer Study Guide

Master Python, Linear Algebra, Neural Networks, PyTorch, and modern LLM / RAG architectures with zero paid courses.

PythonPyTorchHugging FaceVector DatabasesLangChain

Step-by-Step Curriculum

Follow each phase in order. Complete the hands-on project before moving to the next.

1

Python Foundations & Mathematical Intuition

Core Python, Matrix Multiplication, NumPy vectorization, and basic calculus intuition.

Build to Master: NumPy-Only Multilayer Perceptron

Build backpropagation and gradient descent from scratch without using PyTorch or TensorFlow.

GitHub Portfolio Deliverables:
Pure Python matrix math
MNIST digit classification >95% accuracy
GitHub repository with README explanations
2

Deep Learning & Neural Networks (PyTorch)

From backpropagation to Convolutional and Recurrent Networks using PyTorch.

Build to Master: Custom Image Classifier & Web Predictor

Train a custom ResNet/Vision model on satellite or biomedical images and deploy with FastAPI.

GitHub Portfolio Deliverables:
Trained PyTorch model weights
Inference endpoint
Evaluation metrics confusion matrix
3

Modern Generative AI, RAG & LLMs

Embeddings, Vector Databases, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and fine-tuning with Hugging Face.

Build to Master: Production RAG Document Assistant

Build an AI agent that retrieves and answers questions against technical PDFs using embeddings and a free vector DB (e.g. Chroma/Qdrant).

GitHub Portfolio Deliverables:
Chunking & embedding pipeline
Hybrid keyword + semantic search
Hallucination guardrails

Jobs Requiring These Skills

Active opportunities on Role Nest that look for the skills in this roadmap.

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GitLab

Senior Backend Engineer (Python), Agent Developer: Flow Components

Competitive Market Compensation (Official) • REMOTE
EBSCO

Product Manager - AI Exchange

Competitive Market Compensation (Official) • REMOTE