From Equations to Algorithms: My Journey from Chemical Engineering to AI/ML

As a 2nd-year undergraduate student at IIT Hyderabad, majoring in Chemical Engineering, I never expected my fascination with equations and physical processes would evolve into a deep interest in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. 🤖

But that’s exactly what happened.

The Spark ⚡

To be honest, I didn’t start out aiming for AI or machine learning. Like most students, I was just exploring things on the side—watching YouTube videos, trying out coding challenges, and clicking through online courses 🖱️.Somewhere along the way, I stumbled upon a machine learning video that caught my attention 🤯. The idea that a few lines of code could recognize images, predict trends, or even mimic human behavior felt like magic ✨. That spark of curiosity turned into a genuine interest—and then into hours of learning and building.

The Transition🔁

Handling both core engineering topics and AI/ML wasn’t easy. I had to build a strong foundation in Python🐍, data structures 📊, and statistical thinking 📐. I started working on basic projects like the Iris dataset and EDA with Zomato data 🍽️, slowly leveling up to build classification models and deep learning networks 🤯. The learning curve was steep, but incredibly fulfilling 🙌.

Why This Matters🌍

In a world increasingly driven by data and automation🤖, I believe interdisciplinary thinking is more valuable than ever. My chemical engineering background teaches me how to model physical systems; AI/ML helps me optimize and predict them📡.

Through this article, I hope to inspire students like me—who may not come from a CS background but are driven to explore AI/ML. Your background isn’t a barrier—it’s your unique perspective.🎯

✨ Stay curious. Keep building. And don’t be afraid to take the road less linear.🛤️🚀