AI/ML Upskilling Roadmap for a Java Architect
Introduction
This roadmap is designed for an experienced Java architect (18+ years) looking to transition into the fields of
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). The plan leverages your existing strengths in software
architecture and Java development, while gradually introducing AI/ML concepts and practical applications.
Phase 1: Foundation (1-2 Months)
- Learn Python (essential for AI/ML)
- Topics: Syntax, OOP, NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib
- Resources: Python.org, W3Schools, Coursera (Python for Everybody)
- Understand Math Fundamentals
- Topics: Linear Algebra, Probability, Statistics, Calculus basics
- Resources: Khan Academy, 3Blue1Brown (YouTube)
- Tools Setup
- Jupyter Notebooks, Anaconda, Git, VSCode, Google Colab
Phase 2: Core ML Concepts (2-3 Months)
- Learn ML Fundamentals
- Topics: Supervised/Unsupervised Learning, Regression, Classification, Clustering
- Resources: Andrew Ng's ML Course (Coursera), fast.ai
- Practice with Libraries
- Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, Keras, PyTorch (basic level)
AI/ML Upskilling Roadmap for a Java Architect
- Projects
- Build simple models: house price prediction, sentiment analysis, image classification
Phase 3: Deep Learning & Specialization (2-4 Months)
- Deep Learning
- Topics: Neural Networks, CNNs, RNNs, Transfer Learning
- Resources: DeepLearning.ai Specialization, TensorFlow/Keras tutorials
- NLP / Computer Vision / Reinforcement Learning (Choose One)
- NLP: Text processing, transformers
- CV: Object detection, image classification
- RL: Game-playing agents, OpenAI Gym
- Start contributing to GitHub projects or Kaggle competitions
Phase 4: Integration with Java & Production Deployment (1-2 Months)
- Integrate ML Models with Java
- Tools: TensorFlow Java API, ONNX, REST APIs for model serving
- MLOps & Deployment
- Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD for ML, model monitoring
- Cloud Platforms
AI/ML Upskilling Roadmap for a Java Architect
- AWS/GCP/Azure: SageMaker, Vertex AI, Azure ML
Phase 5: Continued Learning & Networking (Ongoing)
- Follow research papers (arXiv, PapersWithCode)
- Join communities: LinkedIn groups, Meetup, Reddit, Discord
- Attend conferences: NeurIPS, CVPR, ICML, local tech events
- Mentor others and blog your learning journey