Towards Data Science is a community-powered publication that showcases work in data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence. Every day newcomers, seasoned researchers and industry practitioners publish tutorials, research notes and real-world case studies that help the field move forward.

Towards Data Science

A realistic roadmap for becoming an AI engineer, pushing back against claims it can be done in a few months. The guide outlines a multi-year path starting with a software engineering or data science role, then building AI/ML fundamentals, learning AI engineering concepts (RAG, prompt engineering, LangChain, MCP, fine-tuning), building portfolio projects, and getting hired via referrals. Salary ranges of $200k–$300k are cited, and the total realistic timeline is estimated at around 2 years.

How to Become an AI Engineer Fast (Skills, Projects, Salary)