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Should I learn AI or web development? This question often comes to mind when pondering the future of web developers with the onset of AI.
Will web developers vanish?
If you want an answer in one word, it is simply NO!
Stick around because you will learn surprising ways AI empowers web developers or vice-versa…
As an expert in the field, I’ve witnessed firsthand the TRANSFORMATIVE SYNERGY between AI and web development.
You would love to know (as you can’t hate AI for survival) that the scientific groundwork for AI has been started way earlier than you think!
The Harvard special edition blog on AI predicted driverless cars would be available in 20 years. But, the technology is thriving too fast, and you can see the glimpses already… (although one of the most significant AI attempts has even failed).
My gist is AI is not winning over in every aspect! There are pros and cons, AND lack of human touch…
NO WORRIES to aspiring, newbies, or amateur web developers. I’m going to show you the exact logic behind this.
We will explore the following contexts this comprehensive blog to support our logic:
- Understanding the basics of web dev and AI
- Critical differences between AI & Web development
- Exploring the future scope of web dev and AI
- Transitioning from web development to AI
Understanding The Basics
First, you need to understand the basics and learn the difference! Although AI and web development are crucial aspects of the tech world, they are quite different. However, they are interrelated to some extent!
This brings us to a common question: Should I learn AI or web development?
Just learn that AI has its context limits!
Understanding both fields can provide a clearer perspective. This blog discusses how they complement each other and open up diverse career opportunities.
What Is Web Development?
Web development is the process of building and maintaining websites. It also involves creating applications (which could be AI-based) that run in a web browser.
It can be simple text pages or complex web-based and social network applications.
Now, understand what it involves before the actual coding begins!
- The layout and functionality of the website are planned.
- The actual code for the website is written.
- The application/website gets tested for bugs and fixing them.
- Continual upkeep and maintenance according to user feedback and scalability requirements.
Its main types include front-end, back-end, and full-stack web development.
What Is Artificial Intelligence?
AI is a technology field focused on creating machines that can perform human-like functions.
These tasks include decision-making, object detection, speech recognition, and language translation.
It also requires programming computers to perform human cognition tasks. The aim is to mimic natural intelligence to solve complex problems functionally.
AI involves various disciplines and methodologies, including:
- Machine learning/ML
- Neural networks and deep learning
- Natural language processing
- Robotics
- Cognitive computing
Having a foundation in mathematics, programming, and data analysis or statistics is helpful for beginning with AI.
AI is for you if you love teaching machines or robots human intelligence. (BUT, you can’t get into this fancier stuff without knowing problem-solving in general or the basics of coding, etc.)
You should consider web development if you like problem-solving and building useful websites.
Should I learn AI or Web Development? Critical Differences Explained
You have gone through the basics. Now, it is time to dive deep into the little intricacies of AI & web development. Both these fields fall into the tech world, yet they serve different purposes.
This naturally raises the question: Should I learn AI or web development?
Technical Skills Required For AI
- Problem-solving skills
- Mathematical and statistical analysis
- Programming languages (you can even learn one programming language & master it!)
- Machine learning
- Deep learning
- Neural networks
- Extensive data analysis
- Data management
- Software engineering
- Natural language processing
Typical Project Types For AI
- Natural language processing projects
- Supervised learning projects (training an AI model using labeled data)
- Unsupervised learning projects (training with unlabeled data)
- Reinforcement learning projects (training AI agents to make decision sequences via interactions)
- Computer vision projects
- Recommender system projects (analyzing user preferences to suggest content, products, or services)
- Robotics projects
Technical Skills Required For Web Development
- Problem-solving skills
- Front-end coding
- Version control (GIT)
- Back-end programming languages
- Program frameworks
- Testing
- Debugging
- CMS
- Creativity
- HTML
- CSS
- Databases
- Web Hosting
- Responsive Website Designing
- Search Engine Optimization
- Web performance optimization
Typical Project Types For Web Development
- Building an Amazon clone using React
- Building a Slack clone using React
- Login authentication
- Developing an SEO-friendly website
- Building survey forms
- Creating social share buttons
- Creating a Google home page clone
- Developing a multiplayer game
- Developing a to-do app
- Building rat in a maze
- Online code editor (JQuery)
Future Scope Of Web Development
The web development domain promises noteworthy progress as technology advances. With the introduction of new technologies and tools, many wonder, should I learn AI or web development to stay ahead? This is what the future of web development holds.
- Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)
- Adaptive & Responsive Designs
- E-Commerce Evolution
- Virtual Reality (VR) & Augmented Reality (AR)
- AI Integration
- Voice Search Optimization
- Sustainability & Green Websites
- Blockchain Integration
OTHER THAN THIS, Responsive web design, single-page applications, the Internet of Things, JavaScript Frameworks, Microservices, Motion UI, and Serverless Architecture are trends in the web development industry.
Every business wants a robust online presence. Startups and large corporations need professional websites and web applications.
Thus, this trend is not slowing down. It is accelerating, as digital transformation is becoming a necessity for businesses worldwide.
As more services go online, security is more critical than ever. Learning about web application security, secure coding practices, and common vulnerabilities (like SQL injection and cross-site scripting) will make you a valuable asset to any development team.
The web development field changes rapidly. Continuously learning new languages, tools, and best practices is essential. Follow blogs, join forums, and take courses to update yourself with relevant skills.
Future Scope Of Artificial Intelligence
AI benefits various sectors, such as healthcare, finance, automotive, and agriculture.
Artificial intelligence augments developers’ abilities, making their work more efficient and innovative.
So, you might ask, Should I learn AI or web development to leverage these advancements?
For instance, AI can quickly identify and diagnose issues in code, significantly speeding up the testing process.
AI-powered tools ensure well-functioning websites without manual testing.
It can monitor websites for unusual activities and potential security threats in real-time. It can identify patterns that might indicate a cyber attack from the indications of historical data.
Thus, AI becomes a collaborator that enhances the skills of human developers. Automating routine tasks allows developers to focus on more strategic and creative activities.
Will AI take over your job? If the answer is YES (which is not!), building AI tools would be one of the last jobs AI can’t replace. So, you should learn to develop AI to be FUTURE-PROOF!
Let us know how to start in the section below!
Transitioning From Web Development To AI
How do I learn to build AI tools like ChatGPT?
I am focusing on how you can learn to build AI tools like ChatGPT. This section is crucial for someone who already knows some Math or programming and wants to transition into an AI job.In human intelligence, neurons transmit information, and in artificial intelligence, nodes transmit information.
Thus, we need to learn how to build these Neural Networks to build AI tools like ChatGPT, etc. However, specific steps are involved to get there.
The Neural Networks are part of the Deep Learning field. Deep learning involves taking a neural network, training it by showing a lot of data and then using the trained network to predict something.
A network’s predictions can vary depending on the task it was trained for. In the case of ChatGPT, the network predicts the next word of a sentence.
Deep learning is a subcategory of Machine Learning in which machines acquire the ability to learn. In other words, deep learning is one of many ways a machine can learn to predict.
There are various ways to do that, collectively known as MACHINE LEARNING!
So, you need to master machine learning first to learn about deep learning and neural networks…
Machine learning consists of three core parameters: Mathematics, Statistics, and Programming.
Let’s start with Mathematics because you will need a good knowledge of Math to learn Statistics!
Learning these concepts (linear algebra, calculus, probability) will help you understand machine-learning algorithms. Once you know these, you can write programs to implement those algorithms. (Well, you don’t have to be a Math genius to learn ML)
To learn MATHEMATICS, you can consider this Mathematics for Machine Learning and Data Science Specialization course.
This Data Science Math Skills is a less comprehensive course if you already know Mathematics.
Now, let’s move on to STATISTICS! However, you won’t need to learn everything about Statistics for Machine Learning. You can learn some basic concepts and build upon them while learning new ML algorithms later. (You can consider this course to learn all the key concepts!)
This course covers everything you need to get started with ML…
Then, it will help if you learn PROGRAMMING before you jump onto Machine Learning.
Learning programming in Python is the most popular and time-tested choice. However, you are not required to know advanced-level programming skills for machine learning.
You can pick up ML easily if you know the basics, like statements, loops, functions, classes, etc..
Visit learnpython.org to learn the basics and do some hands-on exercises.
Now, you’ve reached a place where you can start learning about Machine Learning.
You’re only one step away from building AI tools like ChatGPT. (Check out this Machine Learning Specialization course on Coursera!)
After you’re done with the accessible version of this course, you can go to Kaggle to do some hands-on practice. It will help you complete machine learning projects independently.
By understanding the basics of Python and machine learning, you’re laying a solid foundation to explore more advanced topics in AI. This raises an important question: Should I learn AI or web development after mastering these fundamentals?
By the end of these steps, you will know everything you need to START A CAREER IN AI. The path might seem very long for most people, but it’s worth it for a promising start to a career in AI.
Integrating AI Into Web Development
How is AI currently being used in web development?
Ai-Driven Chatbots
These chatbots interact with users using natural language processing (NLP). Besides answering common questions, they can provide recommendations and handle transactions.
Personalized User Experiences
Platforms like Netflix and Amazon use AI algorithms to recommend products or media based on user behavior.
Voice Search Optimization
With the rise of voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, websites optimize their content for voice search. It makes voice search better by understanding intent and structuring content.
Code Completion And Bug Fixing
Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code and GitHub Copilot use AI to suggest code snippets and complete lines of code based on the work’s context.
Testing And Quality Assurance
AI can generate and execute test cases on websites, detecting bugs and issues more efficiently than manual testing. Tools like Applitools use AI to compare visual aspects of a web page to identify unintended changes or visual problems.
Final Words
You only partially zero out programming, even if you are starting in the AI field from scratch. As discussed above, you must learn programming, mathematics, and statistics to begin within the AI industry.
Hopefully, it answers your query: Should I learn AI or web development? I think you can go either way based on what aspects you like about each of these studies.
Transitioning from web development to AI is easy for amateur web developers. However, transitioning from AI to web development might be challenging for an AI engineer!
