ERA V3

This 30-session course is designed to transform students into full-stack AI

engineers, pro cient in both the development and deployment of AI models.
The curriculum integrates foundational knowledge with advanced topics,
covering neural networks, transformers, LLMs, and GenAI models. Practical
skills are emphasized through continuous integration of MLOps practices,
frontend and backend development, and deployment strategies.

A key differentiator of this course is the heavy use of modern coding tools
like Cursor and Claude dev, which signi cantly enhance coding ef ciency,
debugging, and experimentation. These tools are a boon for accelerating
learning and development, allowing students to focus on building full-stack AI
solutions more effectively. By embracing these technologies, students will not
only become more productive but also more con dent in tackling complex AI
and engineering challenges. These tools empower learners to create, debug,
and experiment at a faster pace, making the journey to becoming full-stack AI
engineers smoother and more accessible.

By introducing LLMs early in the course (Session 9), students have ample
time to delve into advanced language models and their applications. MLOps,
CI/CD, and deployment practices are interwoven throughout the sessions,
ensuring students build these critical skills progressively.

The course culminates in a capstone project, allowing students to apply their

knowledge to real-world problems and demonstrate their capabilities as full-
stack AI engineers. The inclusion of emerging topics and future trends
prepares students to adapt to the rapidly evolving eld of AI.
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Key Features:

• Hands-On Learning: Practical assignments accompany each session,

reinforcing theoretical concepts through implementation.
• Empowering Modern Tools: Modern AI development tools like Cursor
and Clade dev streamline work ows, allowing students to build, debug,
and experiment faster.
• Parallel Skill Development: Frontend, backend, MLOps, and AI
modeling skills are developed concurrently.
• Industry Relevance: The curriculum re ects current industry practices
and technologies, ensuring students are job-ready.
• Comprehensive Coverage: Topics range from foundational principles
to advanced techniques in AI and machine learning.
• Focus on Deployment: Emphasis on deploying models effectively
across various platforms, including cloud and mobile devices.

This course ensures that students not only understand modern AI and deep
learning concepts but are also equipped with the cutting-edge tools and skills
needed to implement and deploy AI solutions effectively in real-world
scenarios.

Session 1: Introduction to AI, Neural Networks, and Development Tools

• Fundamentals of AI and Neural Networks: Introduction to core AI
concepts, types of neural networks, and their applications.
• Course Structure and Expectations: Overview of the course syllabus,
objectives, and assessment methods.
• Development Environment Setup: Installing Python, PyTorch, and
essential libraries.
• Introduction to Modern Coding AI Tools: Overview of tools like
Cursor to enhance coding ef ciency.
• Introduction to Frontend and Backend Concepts: Brief discussion to
prepare for integrating AI models into applications.
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Session 2: Python Essentials, Version Control, and Web Development
Basics
• Python Programming for AI: Essential Python syntax and data
structures relevant to AI programming.
• Version Control with Git and GitHub: Basic commands, branching,
merging, and collaboration work ows.
• Web Development Introduction: Basics of HTML, CSS, and
JavaScript to create simple web interfaces.
• Setting Up a Simple Web Server: Hosting applications locally to
interact with AI models.

Session 3: Data Representation, Preprocessing, and UI Integration

• Understanding Data Types: In-depth look at how images, text, and
audio data are represented in computational systems.
• Data Preprocessing Techniques: Cleaning, normalizing, and
preparing data for model training.
• Data Augmentation: Techniques to arti cially expand visual, textual, or
aural datasets.
• Integrating Data with Frontend Interfaces: Displaying data on web
interfaces for better understanding and user interaction.
• Building Simple Web Apps for Data Visualization: Creating basic
applications to visualize datasets.

Session 4: PyTorch Fundamentals and Simple Neural Networks

• Introduction to PyTorch and Tensors: Understanding tensors, tensor
operations, and PyTorch basics.
• AutoGrad and Computational Graphs: Mechanism of automatic
differentiation in PyTorch.
• Building Simple Neural Networks: Constructing basic neural
networks using PyTorch.
• Implementing Training Loops: Writing loops for training and validating
models.
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 • Deploying Models via Web Interfaces: Hosting the neural network on
a web server for user interaction.

Session 5: Introduction to Deployment, CI/CD, and MLOps Basics

• Basics of Model Deployment: Steps involved in deploying AI models
to production.
• Introduction to CI/CD Pipelines: Automating testing and deployment
using tools like GitHub Actions.
• Introduction to Docker: Basics of containerization for consistent
deployment environments.
• Deploying Neural Network Models in Containers: Packaging
applications for scalability and reliability.

Session 6: Convolutional Neural Networks and Training on Cloud

(CNNs)
• Basics of CNNs: Understanding convolution operations, lters, feature
maps, and receptive elds.
• Implementing CNNs in PyTorch: Building and training CNN models
on image datasets.
• Training CNNs: Techniques for effective training and avoiding
over tting.
• Deploying CNN Models with Frontend Interfaces: Integrating trained
CNN models into web applications for image classi cation tasks.

Session 7: In-depth Coding Practice - CNNs

• Hands-On Practice with CNNs: Extensive coding session focused on
deepening understanding of CNN implementation.
• Advanced CNN Architectures: Exploring more complex CNN
structures like VGG and Inception networks.
• Data Augmentation for CNNs: Applying data augmentation
techniques to improve CNN performance.
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 • Model Evaluation and Debugging: Practical examples on how to
evaluate CNNs’ performance, debug issues, and ne-tune models.

Session 8: Introduction to Transformers and Attention Mechanisms

• Understanding Attention Mechanisms: Self-attention and its
signi cance in deep learning.
• Transformer Architecture: Key components like multi-head attention
and positional encoding.
• Implementing Basic Transformers: Building a simple transformer
model in PyTorch.
• Comparison with CNNs: Analyzing differences and use cases for each
architecture.

Session 9: Advanced Neural Network Architectures

• Deep Residual Networks (ResNet): Understanding residual
connections and their bene ts.
• Vision Transformers (ViT): Applying transformers to vision tasks.
• Implementing Advanced Models: Building and training ResNet and
ViT models.
• Deploying Advanced Models: Handling the challenges of deploying
complex architectures.

Session 10: Introduction to Large Language Models (LLMs)

• Architecture of LLMs: Exploring models like GPT and BERT.
• Applications in NLP Tasks: Text generation, sentiment analysis, and
question answering.
• Implementing Simple LLMs: Building and training LLMs for basic
tasks.
• Deploying LLMs with Frontend Interfaces: Creating chatbots and
language assistants.
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Session 11: Data Augmentation and Preprocessing
• Image Augmentation Techniques: Explore ipping, rotating, scaling,
and adding noise to expand image datasets.
• Text Preprocessing and Tokenization: Learn text cleaning,
tokenization, and methods like stemming and lemmatization.
• Handling Different Data Types: Preprocess image, text, and audio
data for neural network compatibility.
• Speeding Up Preprocessing: Implement ef cient data pipelines using
batching, GPU-acceleration, and parallel processing.

Session 12: Advanced CI/CD, MLOps, and Deployment Practices

• Advanced CI/CD Pipelines: Implementing robust pipelines with testing
and monitoring.
• Automating Deployments: Continuous integration and continuous
deployment strategies.
• Using Docker and Kubernetes: Scaling applications with container
orchestration.
• Best Practices in MLOps: Model versioning, reproducibility, and
governance.

Session 13: Frontend Development for AI Applications

• Building Responsive Web Interfaces: Using modern frontend
frameworks like React.
• Integrating AI Models with Frontend Applications: Connecting
backend AI services with frontend interfaces for seamless user
experiences.
• Enhancing User Experience (UX): Designing intuitive interfaces for AI
applications.
• Security Considerations: Implementing authentication and secure
communication between frontend and backend.
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Session 14: Optimization Techniques and Ef cient Training
• Optimization Algorithms: Understanding SGD, Adam, and other
optimizers.
• Learning Rate Schedules: Techniques like One Cycle Policy for faster
convergence.
• Mixed-Precision Training: Using FP16 and BF16 for performance
gains.
• Distributed Training Basics: Introduction to training across multiple
GPUs.

Session 15: Visualization Techniques for CNNs and Transformers

• Visualizing CNN Models: Techniques like Class Activation Maps
(CAM) and Grad-CAM to interpret CNN decisions.
• Visualizing Transformers: Understanding and visualizing attention
mechanisms in Transformers.
• Interpreting Model Decisions: Analyzing what models learn and how
they make predictions.
• Incorporating Visualization into Applications: Displaying model
insights within web interfaces for transparency.

Session 16: Generative Models: VAEs and GANs

• Understanding Generative Models: Concepts of latent spaces and
data distribution.
• Implementing VAEs: Building variational autoencoders for data
generation.
• Implementing GANs: Creating generative adversarial networks for
realistic outputs.
• Applications: Style transfer, image synthesis, and data augmentation.
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Session 17: Stable Diffusion and Advanced Generative Techniques
• Introduction to Stable Diffusion Models: Understanding diffusion
processes in AI.
• Implementing Stable Diffusion: Techniques for high-quality image
generation.
• Advanced Techniques: Inpainting, outpainting, and style transfer
applications.
• Deploying Generative Models: Integrating into web interfaces for user
interaction.

Session 18: LLM Fine-Tuning and Optimization

• Fine-Tuning Techniques: Supervised Fine-Tuning (SFT) and Low-
Rank Adaptation (LoRA).
• Optimization Strategies: Parameter-ef cient methods, quantization,
and pruning.
• Tools for Optimization: Utilizing BitsAndBytes, FlashAttention, and
DeepSpeed.
• Deploying Optimized LLMs: Balancing performance with resource
constraints.

Session 19: LLM Inference and Serving

• Inference Optimization: Techniques like kv-cache for ef cient
inference.
• Model Quantization: Reducing model size for faster deployment.
• Serving LLMs Ef ciently: Best practices for API and web app
deployment.
• Real-World Applications: Chatbots, virtual assistants, and language
services.
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Session 20: In-depth Coding Practice - LLMs
• Hands-On Practice with LLMs: Intensive coding session for
deepening understanding of language models.
• Fine-Tuning Pre-trained LLMs: Exploring strategies for ne-tuning
LLMs on speci c tasks or datasets.
• LLM Evaluation and Debugging: Practical examples on how to
evaluate and improve LLM performance.
• Optimizing Inference: Techniques for faster LLM deployment in
production settings.

Session 21: LLM Agents and AI Assistants

• Creating LLM Agents: Building agents that perform complex, goal-
oriented tasks.
• Using Frameworks like LangChain: Simplifying the development of
conversational AI.
• Implementing AI Assistants: Designing assistants for customer
service, information retrieval, etc.
• Deploying AI Assistants with Web Interfaces: Enhancing
accessibility for end-users.

Session 22: Multi-modal AI Models

• Combining Vision and Language Models: Techniques for integrating
different data modalities.
• Implementing Chat Systems with Image Input: Building applications
that understand both text and images.
• Deploying Multi-modal Applications: Addressing challenges in
serving complex models.
• Use Cases and Applications: Real-world examples like visual
question answering.
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 Session 23: Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
• Effective Prompting Techniques: Crafting prompts to guide LLM
responses.
• Introduction to LlamaIndex: Tools for indexing and retrieving relevant
information.
• Building RAG Systems: Combining retrieval mechanisms with
generative models.
• Deploying RAG Applications: Creating systems like ChatWithPDF for
enhanced utility.

Session 24: Advanced MLOps and Data Engineering

• Model Versioning and Experiment Tracking: Using ML ow and DVC
for reproducibility.
• Monitoring and Logging: Setting up systems to track model
performance.
• Scaling AI Applications: Techniques for handling increased load and
data volume.
• Data Pipelines and Work ow Automation: Using tools like Apache
Air ow.

Session 25: Edge AI and Mobile Deployment

• Deploying Models on Mobile Devices: Techniques for Android and
iOS platforms.
• Frameworks for Mobile AI: Utilizing TensorFlow Lite and PyTorch
Mobile.
• Optimizing for Edge Deployment: Reducing model size and
improving ef ciency.
• Applications: Real-time inference and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
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Session 26: Cloud Computing and Scalable AI
• Deploying on Cloud Platforms: Utilizing AWS, Azure, or Google
Cloud services.
• Cloud Services for AI: Leveraging tools like AWS SageMaker and
Azure ML.
• Scaling with Cloud Infrastructure: Auto-scaling and load balancing
strategies.
• Cost Optimization: Managing resources to minimize expenses.

Session 27: In-depth Coding Practice - Scaling Up

• Hands-On Practice with Scaling Models: A session dedicated to
scaling models using cloud and edge deployment techniques.
• Optimizing Model Performance for Large-Scale
Applications: Implementing model partitioning, and distributed
inference.
• Challenges in Scaling: Handling network latency, server load, and
monitoring.
• Scaling Up Model Serving: Implementing solutions for high-
performance and cost-effective serving.

Session 28: Reinforcement Learning Fundamentals

• Basics of Reinforcement Learning (RL): Understanding agents,
environments, and rewards.
• Q-learning and Policy Gradients: Fundamental algorithms in RL.
• Training Simple RL Agents: Implementing agents in environments like
CartPole.
• Challenges in RL: Addressing issues like exploration vs. exploitation.
Session 29: End-to-End Project Deployment - A Hands-On
• Overview of End-to-End AI Applications: Understanding the full
pipeline from data collection to deployment.
• Data Collection and Model Training: Preprocessing data, training
models, and preparing them for production.
• Building Frontend and Backend: Integrating the model with a web
interface and setting up backend services.
• Deployment Strategies: Deploying applications using Docker and
cloud services.
• Monitoring and Scaling: Managing performance, scaling, and security
considerations.
• Hands-On Practice: Students will deploy a complete AI application with
a frontend and backend.

Session 30: Capstone Project Work

• Project Planning and Development: Students begin comprehensive
projects that integrate course concepts.
• Mentorship and Guidance: Instructors provide support and feedback.
• Peer Collaboration: Encouraging teamwork and knowledge sharing.
• Preparation for Presentation: Structuring the project for effective
communication.