In the rapidly evolving field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), specialized knowledge for technical professionals is becoming increasingly crucial. Interview Kickstart, based in Santa Clara, California, recently announced an update to its "Applied Generative AI" course, designed to help tech professionals adapt to this rapidly changing market. This news comes as Chinese tech giant Baidu unveils its next-generation AI models—Ernie4.5 and Ernie X1—generating significant industry buzz.
Baidu's two multimodal foundational models reportedly outperform competitors like DeepSeek and OpenAI across several benchmark platforms. This breakthrough signifies an intensifying competition in the Chinese AI market, with companies like DeepSeek, Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance vying for market share. This fierce competition necessitates that technical professionals possess advanced AI knowledge to remain competitive.
Image Source Note: Image generated by AI, licensed through Midjourney
An Interview Kickstart spokesperson stated, "The continued advancements in AI models like Baidu's Ernie4.5 and Ernie X1 highlight the growing need for specialized AI knowledge across various industries for tech professionals." To meet this market demand, the updated Applied Generative AI course offers tailored learning paths for different technical roles. Software engineers can find specialized content related to backend, frontend, full-stack, and testing engineering positions; technical product managers can access curriculum specifically designed for their role's needs; and machine learning engineers and data scientists can opt for more advanced generative AI courses.
The curriculum covers key technologies driving the current AI revolution, including the deployment of Large Language Models (LLMs), neural networks, AI engineering fundamentals, LangChain, Agentic AI, and emerging generative AI frameworks like Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)—all foundational to Baidu's newly released models.
Furthermore, Baidu CEO Robin Li announced that Ernie4.5 will be open-sourced starting June 30th, reflecting the industry's shift towards open-source AI development. This move, influenced by the success of DeepSeek's open-source model, is expected to accelerate innovation and adoption, further emphasizing the importance of specialized knowledge in these areas for tech professionals.
The Applied Generative AI course includes over 60 hours of live learning, allowing participants to directly interact with industry experts and stay updated on Baidu's latest developments. The course also provides over 20 hours of project-based learning and over 10 hours of hands-on exercises, ensuring participants can put their learned skills into practice.
