AI Fundamentals for Frontend Developers
2-3 weeksSkills You'll Build
How LLMs work (tokens, context, inference)Prompt engineering basicsUnderstanding embeddings and vectorsAI API authentication patternsStreaming responses and SSE
Frontend Developer → AI Engineer
Frontend Developer to AI Engineer: JavaScript-First Approach
Transition from frontend development to AI engineering using your JavaScript/TypeScript expertise. This path emphasizes the JS ecosystem for AI. Vercel AI SDK, browser-based inference, TypeScript-native tooling, before expanding to Python when needed. Your existing skills in React, state management, and async programming translate directly to building AI-powered interfaces. Timeline: 4-6 months.
4-6 months
Prerequisites
- Strong JavaScript/TypeScript proficiency
- React or similar framework experience
- Async programming (Promises, async/await)
- REST API integration experience
- npm/yarn package management
- Git version control
Your Learning Path
Vercel AI SDK & TypeScript AI Tooling
3-4 weeksSkills You'll Build
Vercel AI SDK core conceptsReact Server Components for AIuseChat and useCompletion hooksStreaming UI patternsMulti-provider abstraction (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google)
Building AI-Powered Interfaces
3-4 weeksSkills You'll Build
Chat interface design patternsAI state management in ReactOptimistic updates for AI responsesError handling and retry logicAccessibility for AI interfaces
RAG & Vector Search in JavaScript
3-4 weeksSkills You'll Build
Text chunking with LangChain.jsClient-side embeddings with Transformers.jsVector database integration (Pinecone, Weaviate)Semantic search UI componentsHybrid search patterns
Python Essentials for AI Engineers
3-4 weeksSkills You'll Build
Python syntax for JS developersFastAPI for AI backendsWhen to use Python vs TypeScriptJupyter notebooks for experimentationPython package management
Portfolio & Job Preparation
3-4 weeksSkills You'll Build
Full-stack AI project showcaseDemonstrating frontend + AI expertiseTechnical interview preparationSystem design for AI applicationsSalary negotiation for AI roles