Expanding into AI Business & Automation

Options: AI software development, prompt engineering, or AI research assistance.

1. Core AI & Machine Learning (For Strong Foundations)

Since you have an engineering degree, you likely have a solid math background. You can jump into AI without needing to relearn basic calculus or linear algebra.

  Recommended Courses:

• Fast.ai – Practical, hands-on deep learning blog.
• Andrew Ng’s Machine Learning (Coursera) – Covers ML fundamentals.
• DeepLearning.AI Specializations (Coursera) – More in-depth deep learning training.

  Key Topics to Focus On:

• Neural Networks (CNNs, GANs for image generation)
• Computer Vision (image recognition, object detection)
• Generative AI (text-to-image, image-to-video)

2. AI for Photography & Image Processing

With an expertise in photography, learning AI tools and frameworks for image processing would be valuable.

  Suggested Learning Paths:

• Stable Diffusion (ComfyUI, A1111, InvokeAI) – Learn to fine-tune and customize AI image generation.
• Runway ML – Hands-on video & image AI tool.
• OpenCV & Deep Learning for Image Processing (Udemy, Coursera) – Focus on AI-driven editing.
• Topaz Labs AI Suite – Get familiar with AI-powered upscaling and enhancement.

  Key Topics to Master:

• Image Restoration (denoising, upscaling)
• AI-driven Editing (background removal, facial retouching)
• AI-powered Video Synthesis (Haiper, Runway, Sora)

3. AI Development & Automation (For Expanding Career Options)

If you’re considering AI-related jobs outside of photography, learning AI development and automation could open more doors.

  Training Recommendations:

• Python for AI & ML (if you need a refresh on Python)
• Hugging Face Courses – Learn how to fine-tune AI models.
• LangChain for AI Automation – AI-driven workflow automation.
• Prompt Engineering (DeepLearning.AI, OpenAI’s Free Courses) – Mastering effective prompts.

  Key Skills:

• Automating AI workflows with Make.com + OpenAI
• Training custom AI models (using Stable Diffusion, Llama, or ControlNet)
• AI-powered asset management for creative industries

4. AI & Business Applications (For Monetization)

To make money with AI, you’ll want to develop marketable skills.

  Practical Monetization Strategies:

• AI-powered photo editing services (sell AI-enhanced portraits)
• AI stock image & video creation (for stock platforms)
• AI-powered social media content creation (automated brand photography)

  Business Training Resources:

• AI & Business Course by OpenAI – OpenAI Academy 
• AI Marketing & Automation (Udemy) – Artificial Intelligence AI Marketing to Grow your Business
• Jasper & ChatGPT for Business Applications
• Forbes™ Top ChatGPT Courses 2025 – The Best AI Certification Programs

5. Hands-on AI Projects (Build a Portfolio)

Nothing beats learning by doing—start applying AI to real projects immediately.

Experiment with AI image generation (MidJourney, Stable Diffusion, Leonardo)  

Automate a photography workflow (e.g., AI-powered Lightroom presets)  

Develop an AI-powered tool for retouching images (using OpenCV or Photoshop AI)  

Create AI-generated video content (using Runway ML or Sora)