In a recent webinar Udacity hosted, Women In AI: Forging An Equitable Future, Saumya Jain – Head of Product at Workera – said it best: “Don’t be intimidated or discouraged by AI. It’s new for everyone.” If you’re like a lot of tech professionals out there, one of your resolutions this year might be to start or continue learning AI.
However, with all the buzz surrounding the technology over the past couple of years, you might be wondering how to best learn AI and if it’s already too late to start. The good news? No matter if you’re a developer, marketing professional, or aspiring career switcher, you certainly haven’t missed the boat, and the process of acquiring AI skills is more accessible than ever. Here are the top four reasons why 2025 is the perfect time to learn AI and how to get started.
1. There’s A Huge Demand For AI Skills
The verdict is clear: learning AI isn’t just a competitive advantage – it’s quickly becoming a necessity. According to PwC’s 2024 Global AI Jobs Barometer, postings for jobs requiring AI skills are growing 3.5 times faster than for all jobs. On their company blog, LinkedIn went as far to identify adaptability as the “skill of the moment” due to AI’s profound impact on work, with skills for roles expected to change by 65% by 2030, up from 25% since 2015.
By 2025, AI adoption is expected to continue growing significantly. In 2022 alone, 35% of companies worldwide reported using AI, with an additional 42% considering deployment. The demand spans roles from data scientists to marketers, with industries like healthcare, finance, and logistics all leveraging AI tools to optimize performance.
Upskilling in AI not only helps you stay relevant but also boosts earning potential and career mobility. For example, salaries for roles like Generative AI engineers, algorithm specialists, and AI security experts are projected to rise by 25-30% for mid-level professionals.
2. AI Is Still New for Everyone
You might think AI has already passed its early stages, but the reality is that it’s still unfolding. Be sure to put things in perspective here – GenAI hysteria reached a fever pitch after OpenAI released ChatGPT to the public in November 2022. That was just over years ago. Technologies like AI tend to evolve in waves. Take, for instance, the smartphone boom. Early adopters in the 2000s, particularly developers creating apps for mobile devices, began toying around with this burgeoning technology. At first, mobile app development was a niche skill, but as smartphones became ubiquitous, building mobile apps evolved from a niche skill to an essential one for development teams across industries. AI is following a similar path in 2025, moving from a cutting-edge tool for pioneers to a foundational skill that professionals across sectors must master.
Industries, including the tech space, are still figuring out how best to tap into AI’s full potential and integrate it into their workflows. From balancing human-AI collaboration to navigating ethical concerns, the field remains ripe for innovation and full of pressing questions.
3. AI Is Your Competitive Advantage
Despite the demand, many companies have been slow to provide employees with the AI training they need to stand out in the marketplace. In Udacity’s 2025 State of AI At Work Report, 87.8% of professionals said they plan to pursue AI training on their own, while only 32.5% of the professionals reported their employers offer the resources to help them do so. This gap highlights why it’s so important to take control of your education sooner rather than later in 2025. By investing in learning AI skills, you can increase your productivity, improve your earning potential, and open up your bandwidth to focus more on business-critical tasks. When used correctly, a well-crafted suite of AI tools and skills is like having your very own team of virtual assistants. This year, get a head start on your peers by learning AI – it could very well be the competitive advantage that propels your career to the next level.
4. Learning AI Is Easier Than Ever
When it comes to AI education, one of the biggest challenges of the past was figuring out how to learn AI effectively. Early on, resources were scattered and hand-wavey, with a barrage of free tutorials and generalized advice that didn’t provide actionable insights. Much of the learning came from self-proclaimed experts with little credentials in the AI space at all. As we kick off 2025, the landscape has changed.
Platforms like Udacity now offer expert-led, structured AI upskilling programs designed to guide learners step by step. These resources help you cut through the noise and focus on practical skills that matter in today’s workforce. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to advance your career, these programs make learning AI approachable, and immediately impactful.
How to Start Learning AI
Okay, so you’ve decided to take the leap and make 2025 THE year you learn AI. Now what? Breaking up your learning into manageable steps will simplify the process:
- Familiarize Yourself With The Basics: From NLP to LLMs to prompt engineering and beyond, start your AI journey by learning the foundational aspects of AI (if you haven’t done so already). To do this, we recommend checking out beginner-friendly courses like Discovering Generative AI, Generative AI Fluency, or Discovering Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
- Understand the Role AI Plays in Your Industry: Begin researching how AI is transforming your specific field. Marketers might focus on customer segmentation or GenAI tools, while logistics professionals could explore predictive analytics. Identifying relevant applications gives your learning a clear focus. For example, if you’re determined to become an AI programmer, you can start by enrolling in AI Programming with Python, become more advanced by taking the Generative AI Nanodegree program, and master AI programming with our Deep Learning program. To further orient yourself to an appropriate learning path, check out our AI Hub.
- Choose the Right Learning Platform: Providers like Udacity provide structured, flexible courses tailored to AI beginners and professionals alike. Look for programs with hands-on projects that let you build real-world skills.
- Commit to Consistent Practice: Success doesn’t happen overnight. Dedicate time at a steady drumbeat to studying concepts, experimenting with AI tools, and solving practical problems. A steady routine is the key to progress. Much like many productivity experts champion adopting a morning routine, we encourage you to create your own learning routine to pick up new skills.
- Build and Test: Don’t just learn theories and hypotheticals when it comes to AI – put them into action right away. If you’re learning how to create your own GPTs, start by actually creating one. If you’re looking to explore GenAI coding solutions, start by signing up for GitHub Copilot and similar tools. Practical experience is the best way to solidify your skills.
Ready To Make 2025 Your Year To Learn AI?
It’s official, AI is no longer the future – it’s the present. Make 2025 the year you invest in yourself and learn AI. Visit Udacity’s AI Hub at www.udacity.com/ai to access the tools, resources, and guidance you need to take the first step toward mastering this transformative technology.
