AI For Everyone review
DeepLearning.AI · deeplearning-ai
Our AI For Everyone review: it is the best free course for people who decide about AI rather than build it. Andrew Ng explains what machine learning can and cannot do, how an AI project runs, and how to pick one, with no code. Coursera sells the certificate, and says some courses offer a free option without one.
What does it take?
| Difficulty | 1 out of 5 |
|---|---|
| Hours | About 7 hours |
| Format | Video |
| Maths needed | No maths |
| Coding needed | No code |
| Hardware needed | A browser is enough |
| Certificate | Paid certificate: Shown when you enrol; varies by country |
| Free to audit | No |
| Pace | Self-paced |
| Last updated by the provider | Not checked yet |
| Instructor | Andrew Ng |
| Time to complete | 7 hours |
| Modules | 4, of 1 to 2 hours each |
| Assignments | 4 |
| Level | Beginner, no prior experience required |
| Languages | Taught in English, 27 languages available |
Who should take it, and who should skip it?
Take it if you are
- Managers and executives who sign off on AI projects or budgets
- Product, operations and strategy staff asked to find uses for AI in their team
- Anyone who will work alongside data scientists and wants to speak their language
Skip it if you are
- Anyone who wants to build something: it has no code and no exercises with real tools
- People who finished Elements of AI and only want the concepts again: skip to week 2
- Readers after generative AI and chat assistants specifically: take Generative AI for Everyone
What will you be able to do after it?
- Tell which business problems suit machine learning and which do not
- Describe the stages of a machine learning project and who does what in each
- Ask a technical team the right questions about data, accuracy and cost
- Sketch a first AI plan for your team or organisation
- Explain the main risks, such as bias and over-reliance, to colleagues
What's in each module?
| Module | What it covers |
|---|---|
| What is AI? | A working definition for non-technical people, and what machine learning can and cannot do. Coursera lists this module at 2 hours. |
| Building AI projects | How a real AI project is chosen, staffed and run, step by step. Coursera lists this module at 1 hour, the shortest of the four. |
| Building AI in your company | How to bring AI into an organisation and which roles you need. Coursera lists this module at 2 hours. |
| AI and society | Bias, jobs, and a realistic view of where this is heading. Coursera lists this module at 2 hours. |
What we liked, and what we didn't
What we liked
- Andrew Ng is one of the clearest teachers in the field, and this is his course for non-technical people
- Business-first: every idea is tied to a decision you might have to make at work
- Short enough to finish alongside a full-time job
- Coursera offers a free trial and says financial aid is available, so you can try it before paying
- Beginner level with no prior experience required, and 4 assignments, one for each of its 4 modules
What we didn't
- The certificate is paid, and the price is only shown when you enrol
- Light on how the technology works inside; Elements of AI goes deeper there
- At 7 hours in total it covers the ground quickly: the Building AI projects module is only 1 hour
- Predates the current wave of chat assistants, so generative AI gets little space
- Video-only, with quizzes rather than practical exercises
What's the catch?
The certificate is paid, and Coursera shows the price only when you enrol, so it varies by country. Coursera says some courses offer a free Full Course, No Certificate option: you get the materials and a final grade but cannot earn or buy a certificate. Look for it when you enrol, or use a free trial or financial aid.
Is it still current?
The project-planning material still holds: how to choose, staff and run an AI project has not changed. The examples come from the era before chat assistants, so pair it with Generative AI for Everyone for the current tools.
What should you take before it?
- Elements of AI
The gentlest way in: a University of Helsinki course with no code and no maths beyond school level. It takes about 24 to 48 hours and the certificate is free.
What should you take after it?
- Generative AI for Everyone
What large language models can actually do for you and your team, without writing a line of code. Andrew Ng teaches it in 6 hours on Coursera, certificate paid.
- Kaggle Learn: Python
Kaggle's 7-lesson Python course takes about 5 hours, costs nothing and pairs every lesson with an exercise notebook. Kaggle gives a free completion certificate.
How we rated it: 8 out of 10
| Criterion | Score out of 10 |
|---|---|
| Clarity | 9 |
| Hands-on practice | 4 |
| Up to date | 7 |
| Depth | 6 |
| Truly free | 7 |
Questions people ask
Can you take AI For Everyone for free?
Possibly. Coursera says some courses offer a free Full Course, No Certificate option. Look for it when you enrol. If it is not offered, you can start a free trial or apply for financial aid.
How much does the AI For Everyone certificate cost?
Coursera shows the certificate price only when you enrol, and it varies by country, so we cannot give a number. If you plan to take several DeepLearning.AI courses, compare that with Coursera Plus before you pay.
Is AI For Everyone too basic?
For someone who has never studied AI, no. If you already took Elements of AI, the first week repeats what you know, but the project-planning weeks are still new material.
How long is AI For Everyone?
Coursera lists it at 7 hours to complete, across 4 modules of 2, 1, 2 and 2 hours. It has 4 assignments, one per module, and the first module, What is AI?, has 9 videos and 2 readings. Andrew Ng teaches it in English, and Coursera says 27 languages are available. You can finish it in a couple of weeks of evenings.
Is AI For Everyone good for managers?
It is the best free course for managers. It is built around the decisions a manager makes: which projects to back, what data you need and how to work with a technical team.
Do I need to code for AI For Everyone?
No. There is no code anywhere in the course. If you want to build things afterwards, start with Kaggle Learn: Python.
So should you take it?
Take AI For Everyone if your job is to decide where AI goes, not to build it. It scores 8.0: clarity is 9 because Andrew Ng explains project choices better than anyone, but hands-on is 4 since there is nothing to build, and truly free is 7 because the certificate is paid. If you took Elements of AI first, skip the opening week and go straight to the project material.
Where to go next
- AI learning path for non-coders
A learning path that includes AI For Everyone.
- Use AI tools well at work
A learning path that includes AI For Everyone.
- DeepLearning.AI: our platform review
What else it offers, and what costs money.
- Elements of AI
The gentlest way in: a University of Helsinki course with no code and no maths beyond school level. It takes about 24 to 48 hours and the certificate is free.
- AI for Beginners
A 24-lesson open curriculum on GitHub covering classic AI, ML and a little deep learning.
Last checked : hours, modules, level, certificate and free access wording.
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