- Online
- $950
This course can be applied toward the UBC Micro-certificate in Artificial Intelligence Cloud Solutions Strategy, and the UBC Certificates in AI for Digital Media or Cloud & Technology Transformation.
This course combines implementation strategy, critical thinking and practical tech skills for immediate application in your current work.
Explore in depth how AI applications and services are implemented within a cloud computing framework. Learn how to design solutions with AI to enhance customer experiences, streamline business processes and improve decision-making. Develop a strategy to integrate AI into your own real-world project and build your skills further with additional online training and hands-on tutorials through freely available resources.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Analyze the AI and machine learning commercial services market and identify the key players
- Understand AI and machine learning practical applications and the processes for their effective implementation with cloud technologies for commercial use
- Identify the four basic categories of AI services: prediction, structured data, unstructured data and neural networks
- Explore the concept of generative AI, with a focus on chatbots
No technical or coding skills required. Students are introduced to entry-level development tools which are regularly updated to align with industry trends, such as Amazon Rekognition, OpenAI API with Docker, ChatGPT chatbots using Langchain and OpenAI, and OpenAI ChatGPT hybrid search and retrieval augmented generation.
Course outline
Week 1: Explore current AI and machine learning services, learn about key players and understand their practical applications.
Week 2: Investigate the four categories of AI services—prediction, structured data, unstructured data and neural networks—and the fundamental algorithms used in each. Learn the difference between structured and unstructured data algorithms, the role of statistics, hypothesis testing and the importance of data when working with AI and machine learning.
Week 3: Learn advanced machine learning algorithms and how they can provide insights to benefit your organization. Build a facial recognition microservice using AWS serverless architecture, with a live demo using Terraform to implement a production-ready microservice with AWS services, such as API Gateway, Lambda, Rekognition, S3 and DynamoDB.
Week 4: Take a closer look at neural networks in AI cloud services and explore generative AI in chatbots. Integrate a GPT-based chatbot into a facial recognition microservice.
How am I assessed?
You’re assessed on successfully completing weekly activities, including your contributions to discussion posts and applied case study projects (based on real-life scenarios). These activities are marked using a proficiency scale, and your instructor provides you informal feedback in the live sessions.
While you’re not assessed on your attendance of the live sessions, we encourage you to attend these classes, so you don’t miss the opportunity to learn and interact with your instructor and other participants. All sessions are recorded in case you miss one.
Expected effort
Expect to spend approximately 5–7 hours a week completing all learning activities, including attending the live online sessions.
Technology requirements
To take this course, you’ll need access to:
- an email account
- a computer, laptop or tablet, using Windows or macOS
- the latest version of a web browser (or previous major version release)
- a reliable internet connection
- a video camera and microphone
Course format
This 100% online program is instructor-supported with real-time classes and combines self-paced independent study and weekly 1.5-hour live online sessions. These live, virtual classes are also recorded.
Outside of class time, you can access online materials at your own pace. Each week, you'll have an opportunity to review readings and videos, apply your knowledge in exercises and case studies, contribute to a discussion board and connect with other students.
One business day before the course start date, we'll email you step-by-step instructions for accessing your course.
