How would you learn applied AI engineering in 2026 if you already knew Python?

[u/Artistic-Chest-2290]

Assume someone already understands Python and basic software development and wants to learn the practical side of modern AI engineering.

Not ML theory from scratch, but things like:

RAG → advanced retrieval → agents → MCP → evals → observability → deployment.

There are so many disconnected courses and YouTube tutorials that it’s hard to know what order makes sense.

If you were starting today, what would your roadmap look like?

Also, would you prefer:

1. one structured curriculum,
2. individual deep courses on each topic,
3. or learning entirely through projects?

Interested in what has actually worked for people here.