Program profile · official sources
Building AI
Building AI is a flexible online course offered by the University of Helsinki and MinnaLearn that takes approximately 50 hours to complete. It explores the algorithms underlying artificial intelligence. The curriculum covers fundamental optimization, probability, machine learning, and neural networks. Learners can choose from beginner, intermediate, and advanced exercise options. The intermediate and advanced tiers require programming. While prior completion of Introduction to AI is recommended, it is not a prerequisite. All course content and exercises are accessible for free. Learners who complete 19 of 21 exercises with at least half correct can purchase an optional electronic certificate for EUR 50. The program ends with an optional AI idea project.
Facts checked 13 Sep 2026
- Price
- Free (Course content and all exercises at all levels are free; the optional certificate is not included.)
- Time
- Approximately 50 hours to complete the whole course; varies by difficulty and optional project.
- Level
- Basic Understanding
- Credential
- Certificate
Share the certificate URL on LinkedIn.
- Prerequisites
- Basic Python recommended; Introduction to AI recommended but not a prerequisite; intermediate and advanced exercises require programming.
Commercial status: no commercial relationship is documented for this page. The verification link goes directly to the official provider source.
- Price
- FreeCourse content and all exercises at all levels are free; the optional certificate is not included. Optional upgrade adds EUR 50: Optional electronic certificate; excluded from free course access. EUR 50 including VAT if applicable; successful completion and purchase required.
- Duration
- Approximately 50 hours to complete the whole coursevaries by difficulty and optional project.
- Level
- Basic Understanding
- Format
- Flexible online course
- Credential
- Certificate
- Prerequisites
- Basic Python recommended; Introduction to AI recommended but not a prerequisite; intermediate and advanced exercises require programming.
Sources ↗
- Price — https://www.elementsofai.com/faq/what-are-the-requirements-for-completing-the-introduction-to-ai-and-building-ai-courses-2
- Duration — https://www.elementsofai.com/faq/how-many-hours-will-the-course-take
- Official program page — https://buildingai.elementsofai.com/
- Credential details — https://www.elementsofai.com/faq/how-to-share-your-certificate-in-linkedin
- Optional price component — https://www.elementsofai.com/faq/i-have-passed-an-elements-of-ai-course-where-is-my-certificate-2
This program is free. It is not plotted on the logarithmic price scale. See the sourced pricing details below.
See the full registry price landscape. Prices retain their stated payment scope; they are not comparable completion costs.
What’s covered
- Getting started with AI
- Dealing with uncertainty
- Machine learning
- Neural networks
- Conclusion
Prerequisites: Basic Python recommended; Introduction to AI recommended but not a prerequisite; intermediate and advanced exercises require programming.
How much does the Building AI course cost?
All course content and exercises for Building AI are accessible for free across all difficulty levels. Learners who wish to receive a formal credential can choose to purchase the optional Elements of AI: Building AI electronic certificate for EUR 50, which includes VAT if applicable. Obtaining the certificate requires successful completion of the course requirements and the payment of this fee. No subscription is required, and there is no cost to access the reading materials or submit the programming exercises.
What are the completion requirements for Building AI?
To successfully complete the course, learners must finish at least 19 of the 21 available exercises and get at least half of them correct. Every exercise offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced options, and completing any one of these levels counts toward the total. Learners who want to earn honors must complete 14 exercises at the intermediate level or higher for intermediate honors, or 14 exercises at the advanced level for advanced honors. All coding submissions must pass a submission phase to be counted.
Do I need programming experience to take Building AI?
The Building AI course is designed to accommodate different backgrounds by offering exercises at three distinct difficulty levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The beginner tier consists of multiple-choice questions and requires no prior programming knowledge. However, learners who wish to tackle the intermediate or advanced exercises must be able to program; basic Python skills are recommended. While the Introduction to AI course is recommended as a helpful starting point, it is not a mandatory prerequisite for enrolling in Building AI.
What you actually do
- Getting started with AI — Why AI matters; Optimization; Hill climbing. · Source
- Dealing with uncertainty — Probability fundamentals; The Bayes Rule; Naive Bayes classifier. · Source
- Machine learning — Linear regression; The nearest neighbor method; Working with text; Overfitting. · Source
- Neural networks — Logistic regression; From logistic regression to neural networks; Deep learning. · Source
- Conclusion — Summary; Your AI idea; AI idea gallery. · Source
What the credential is
- Credential type
- Certificate · www.elementsofai.com / how-to-share-your-certificate-in-linkedin
- Credential
- Elements of AI: Building AI · www.elementsofai.com / how-to-share-your-certificate-in-linkedin
- Issuer
- MinnaLearn or University of Helsinki · www.elementsofai.com / how-to-share-your-certificate-in-linkedin
- Sharing
- Share the certificate URL on LinkedIn. · www.elementsofai.com / how-to-share-your-certificate-in-linkedin
- Credential scope
- Optional paid electronic certificate, not part of free access; exam, expiry, and renewal terms remain unstated. · www.elementsofai.com / how-to-share-your-certificate-in-linkedin
Total cost to finish
Cost for the stated payment scope: Free (0).
- Course access: 0 × 1 = 0. Free course content and all exercises at all levels; optional certificate excluded. · Source
Scope: Optional certificate costs EUR 50 including VAT if applicable; successful completion and purchase required. · Source
Optional upgrade: EUR 50. Optional electronic certificate; excluded from free course access. EUR 50 including VAT if applicable; successful completion and purchase required. · Source
Who should skip it
Alternatives in the registry
Related by topic or level.
- AI Fundamentals — DataCamp Premium — USD 35/month for course content, billed monthly at the regular price; Approximately 9 hours.
- CS50’s Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python — Check official price; Seven weeks of material; self-paced.
- Machine Learning Specialization — DeepLearning.AI Pro — USD 50/month for course content, billed monthly at the regular price; Publisher content: 94h58m. Publisher pacing: about 10 weeks at 5 hours/week; Coursera pacing: 2 months at 10 hours/week, with course estimates 33/34/28 hours. Different provider estimates, not a completion guarantee..
Change log
- : Official course facts recorded. · Source