Machine learning (ML) is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) that focuses on enabling computers to “think” for themselves. Of course, they owe this thinking to humans (data scientists and ML engineers) who continuously supervise ML algorithms and models.

So, there’s no AI takeover (for now at least), just incredible ways to propel several industries forward by automating repetitive tasks, extracting valuable insights from data, and improving decision-making processes.

But how do humans precisely communicate with computers in machine learning?

The answer is through programming languages.

One programming language stands out among the rest for its simplicity and versatility. By the title of this guide, you can already guess we’re talking about Python.

This beloved programming language is all over the machine learning field, so mastering it gives you a great head start in the industry.

With this in mind, let’s examine how you can learn Python for machine learning courses. If you already have some basic knowledge of this programming language, don’t worry. We’ll also mention a great machine learning Python course to take your knowledge to the next level.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Python for ML Course

Do a Google search for “machine learning Python course,” and you’ll be met with dozens of web pages that promise a sound understanding of this programming language. However, you’ll find the best course for your needs if you can identify those needs first.

Course Content and Curriculum

Your chosen course’s curriculum is arguably the most important factor for selecting the perfect machine learning Python course. One look at the listed topics, and you’ll know whether the course is right for you.

Let’s take your previous experience with Python as an example. If you have none, a course that jumps straight into machine learning algorithms without covering the Python basics will obviously not work for you.

Instructor’s Expertise and Experience

What bridges the gap between struggling to comprehend a complex subject and feeling that nothing can stop you in your learning journey? The answer is simple – a good instructor.

Before committing to a course, check who teaches it. Find out the instructor’s background with Python and whether they have enough expertise to guide you through this programming language’s intricacies.

If their bio checks all the boxes, watch at least one of their lectures. It doesn’t hurt to check whether their teaching style and voice suit you, as these can also make or break your learning experience.

Course Duration and Flexibility

Most online courses are self-paced, allowing you to create your own schedule. Fixed-timing courses also have their benefits, though. They’re usually instructor-led, so you can use the opportunity to ask questions and receive clarification as you learn the material.

As for duration, the course’s description typically indicates how long the course lasts and the recommended pace. Before starting, make sure you can commit to the course from beginning to end. Otherwise, you’re just wasting time and gaining incomplete knowledge.

Hands-On Projects and Real-World Applications

Programming languages are inherently practical, so ensure that your chosen course features hands-on projects and practical examples. Sticking solely to theory will do little to prepare you for what’s waiting in the real world.

Course Reviews and Ratings

You probably check reviews before going to a new restaurant, renting an Airbnb, or purchasing clothes online. So why should shopping for online courses be any different? When a course piques your interest, check how other learners have rated it. But don’t stop at glancing at the average rating. Read through some reviews to ensure they aren’t fake and to get a better picture of the course’s quality.

Pricing and Value for Money

There are plenty of free machine learning resources online. But the more advanced courses and certificates usually come with a fee. And that’s perfectly understandable. What’s not understandable or acceptable are courses that charge ridiculously high fees yet offer little value. To avoid wasting money (and probably time), check whether the course’s price is justifiable by its duration, level, type, and provided support.

Top Python for ML Courses Reviewed

Here are our favorite Python courses primarily focused on machine learning. We’re positive you’ll find the perfect machine learning Python course, whether this is the first time you use this programming language or want to master this skill.

Python for Machine Learning

The Python for Machine Learning course on Great Learning is a great place to start your Python-learning journey. This course is beginner-friendly and relatively short, so you won’t get overwhelmed from the get-go.

This course focuses on three Python libraries: NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib. It guides you through the basic concepts (arrays, intersection, loading, etc.) and then moves on to more complex functions. At the end of the course, you take a quiz. Pass the quiz, and you’ll get a certificate of completion.

Applying for this course is free. Not only that, but you’ll also receive free lifetime access, so you can revisit the course whenever you’d like. Although, some learners believe that there’s little to revisit. In total, this course lasts for 90 minutes. Those who are serious about Python learning will probably need more than this.

Still, you can view this course as a beginner’s guide and move to more advanced lessons afterward. To apply, you only need to create an account on the platform and send an enrollment request.

Machine Learning A-Z: AI, Python & R

If you want to start with the basics but cover the more advanced stuff within the same course, this Udemy’s gem is for you. It covers another programming language besides Python, R. However, this won’t be an issue, as you can focus solely on Python.

The course is broken into 10 parts, with over 40 hours of on-demand videos. Each section (and even the lessons within them) is separate, so you can choose to complete the ones that will benefit you now. Start with data preprocessing, and work toward machine learning model selection.

Those seeking practical exercises in Python will love this course. However, you might need to research some notions independently, as not all lecture sections are explained in great detail.

You can purchase lifetime access to this course for $89.99 (a little over €83). The price includes a certificate of completion and several additional learning materials (articles and downloadable resources). Complete the purchase to apply for this course.

Machine Learning With Python by IBM

IBM is one of the leading companies in the machine learning field, so you should take advantage of every chance to learn from its experts. If you’re just gaining your footing in machine learning, you’ll cover all your bases with this offering.

It will take approximately 12 hours over four weeks to complete the coursework. After each lesson, you’ll get a chance to put your newly-learned knowledge to the test.

One thing to keep in mind is that this course focuses more on machine learning using Python than the programming language itself. So, if you’ve never worked with Python, an additional resource or two might come in handy.

You can use Coursera’s 7-day trial to enroll in this course. Afterward, you’ll be charged $39 (approximately €36) a month. The same fee is a must if you want to receive a certificate.

The Complete Machine Learning Course With Python

Are you a data scientist in the making looking to build a solid portfolio with Python? If yes, you’ll love this course. You can find it on Udemy, just like millions of learners before you. This number might surprise you at first. But once you see that one of the founders of this course is Andrew Ng, a thought leader in machine learning, it will make much more sense.

In 18 hours, this course covers all the basics of machine learning with Python. But there’s a catch. You’ll need at least basic Python programming knowledge to keep up.

If this isn’t an issue, create an Udemy account and pay the $59.99 (around €55.50) fee to apply. Lifetime access and a certificate of completion are included.

Programming for Everybody (Getting Started With Python)

While not focused on machine learning per se, this course is necessary for anyone who has yet to work with Python. Pair it with one of the other courses on our list, and your success is guaranteed.

As the name implies, this course covers all the basics. It is designed to allow virtually anyone to follow, regardless of their skills. The simplest math is all you need.

You’ll also need 19 hours to complete this course offered by the University of Michigan. However, the instructor snuck a couple of non-Python-related stories into those 19 hours, which some learners didn’t like.

If you don’t mind a break here and there, join this course on Coursera for free or $49 (a little over €45) if you want a certificate.

Additional Resources for Learning Python for Machine Learning

Perhaps you can’t get enough of learning about Python. Or you find Python for machine learning courses lacking information. Whatever the case, you can find additional resources (both online and offline) to help you master this programming language. Check out some of our favorites:

  • Books and e-books: “Python for Data Science, for Dummies,” “Introduction to Machine Learning with Python: A Guide for Data Scientists,” “Python Data Science Handbook: Essential Tools for Working with Data”
  • Blogs: Planet Python, Real Python
  • YouTube channels: IBM Technology, Google Career Certificates, techTFQ
  • Community forums and discussion groups: Kaggle Discussions, Reddit (r/learnpython)

The Path to Python

As you can see, there’s no shortage of Python for machine learning courses, even hosted by some of the biggest names in the industry. Take one of the listed courses or combine them; the choice is all yours. All that matters is that you ultimately master this programming language and crush any data science career you choose.

If these courses aren’t enough to quench your thirst for knowledge, a Bachelor’s in Modern Computer Science will definitely do the trick. With it, you can learn all the ins and outs of Python and machine learning in general.

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Sage: The ethics of AI: how to ensure your firm is fair and transparent
OPIT - Open Institute of Technology
OPIT - Open Institute of Technology
Mar 7, 2025 3 min read

Source:


By Chris Torney

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning have the potential to offer significant benefits and opportunities to businesses, from greater efficiency and productivity to transformational insights into customer behaviour and business performance. But it is vital that firms take into account a number of ethical considerations when incorporating this technology into their business operations. 

The adoption of AI is still in its infancy and, in many countries, there are few clear rules governing how companies should utilise the technology. However, experts say that firms of all sizes, from small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to international corporations, need to ensure their implementation of AI-based solutions is as fair and transparent as possible. Failure to do so can harm relationships with customers and employees, and risks causing serious reputational damage as well as loss of trust.

What are the main ethical considerations around AI?

According to Pierluigi Casale, professor in AI at the Open Institute of Technology, the adoption of AI brings serious ethical considerations that have the potential to affect employees, customers and suppliers. “Fairness, transparency, privacy, accountability, and workforce impact are at the core of these challenges,” Casale explains. “Bias remains one of AI’s biggest risks: models trained on historical data can reinforce discrimination, and this can influence hiring, lending and decision-making.”

Part of the problem, he adds, is that many AI systems operate as ‘black boxes’, which makes their decision-making process hard to understand or interpret. “Without clear explanations, customers may struggle to trust AI-driven services; for example, employees may feel unfairly assessed when AI is used for performance reviews.”

Casale points out that data privacy is another major concern. “AI relies on vast datasets, increasing the risk of breaches or misuse,” he says. “All companies operating in Europe must comply with regulations such as GDPR and the AI Act, ensuring responsible data handling to protect customers and employees.”

A third significant ethical consideration is the potential impact of AI and automation on current workforces. Businesses may need to think about their responsibilities in terms of employees who are displaced by technology, for example by introducing training programmes that will help them make the transition into new roles.

Olivia Gambelin, an AI ethicist and the founder of advisory network Ethical Intelligence, says the AI-related ethical considerations are likely to be specific to each business and the way it plans to use the technology. “It really does depend on the context,” she explains. “You’re not going to find a magical checklist of five things to consider on Google: you actually have to do the work, to understand what you are building.”

This means business leaders need to work out how their organisation’s use of AI is going to impact the people – the customers and employees – that come into contact with it, Gambelin says. “Being an AI-enabled company means nothing if your employees are unhappy and fearful of their jobs, and being an AI-enabled service provider means nothing if it’s not actually connecting with your customers.”

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Reuters: EFG Watch: DeepSeek poses deep questions about how AI will develop
OPIT - Open Institute of Technology
OPIT - Open Institute of Technology
Feb 10, 2025 4 min read

Source:

  • Reuters, Published on February 10th, 2025.

By Mike Scott

Summary

  • DeepSeek challenges assumptions about AI market and raises new ESG and investment risks
  • Efficiency gains significant – similar results being achieved with less computing power
  • Disruption fuels doubts over Big Tech’s long-term AI leadership and market valuations
  • China’s lean AI model also casts doubt on costly U.S.-backed Stargate project
  • Analysts see DeepSeek as a counter to U.S. tariffs, intensifying geopolitical tensions

February 10 – The launch by Chinese company DeepSeek, opens new tab of its R1 reasoning model last month caused chaos in U.S. markets. At the same time, it shone a spotlight on a host of new risks and challenged market assumptions about how AI will develop.

The shock has since been overshadowed by President Trump’s tariff wars, opens new tab, but DeepSeek is set to have lasting and significant implications, observers say. It is also a timely reminder of why companies and investors need to consider ESG risks, and other factors such as geopolitics, in their investment strategies.

“The DeepSeek saga is a fascinating inflection point in AI’s trajectory, raising ESG questions that extend beyond energy and market concentration,” Peter Huang, co-founder of Openware AI, said in an emailed response to questions.

DeepSeek put the cat among the pigeons by announcing that it had developed its model for around $6 million, a thousandth of the cost of some other AI models, while also using far fewer chips and much less energy.

Camden Woollven, group head of AI product marketing at IT governance and compliance group GRC International, said in an email that “smaller companies and developers who couldn’t compete before can now get in the game …. It’s like we’re seeing a democratisation of AI development. And the efficiency gains are significant as they’re achieving similar results with much less computing power, which has huge implications for both costs and environmental impact.”

The impact on AI stocks and companies associated with the sector was severe. Chipmaker Nvidia lost almost $600 billion in market capitalisation after the DeepSeek announcement on fears that demand for its chips would be lower, but there was also a 20-30% drop in some energy stocks, said Stephen Deadman, UK associate partner at consultancy Sia.

As Reuters reported, power producers were among the biggest winners in the S&P 500 last year, buoyed by expectations of ballooning demand from data centres to scale artificial intelligence technologies, yet they saw the biggest-ever one-day drops after the DeepSeek announcement.

One reason for the massive sell-off was the timing – no-one was expecting such a breakthrough, nor for it to come from China. But DeepSeek also upended the prevailing narrative of how AI would develop, and who the winners would be.

Tom Vazdar, professor of cybersecurity and AI at Open Institute of Technology (OPIT), pointed out in an email that it called into question the premise behind the Stargate Project,, opens new tab a $500 billion joint venture by OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle to build AI infrastructure in the U.S., which was announced with great fanfare by Donald Trump just days before DeepSeek’s announcement.

“Stargate has been premised on the notion that breakthroughs in AI require massive compute and expensive, proprietary infrastructure,” Vazdar said in an email.

There are also dangers in markets being dominated by such a small group of tech companies. As Abbie Llewellyn-Waters, Investment manager at Jupiter Asset Management, pointed out in a research note, the “Magnificent Seven” tech stocks had accounted for nearly 60% of the index’s gains over the previous two years. The group of mega-caps comprised more than a third of the S&P 500’s total value in December 2024.

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