Path to AI research from math undergrad, no CS background? Suppose someone has a math bachelors with a developing interest in AI research but has not taken a single computer science course.
Is it advisable to &quot;start over&quot; and try to be admitted to a masters program in computer science, perhaps by taking prerequisite courses as a non degree student somewhere?
Or is it possible to approach the field from the perspective of statistics, getting an MS in Data Science or Statistics and self-teaching programming and CS along the way, before applying to a CS PhD?
In other words, is there really any AI or machine learning research being done in most statistics departments?
In the field of AI, there are many mathematicians.  For example, they may focus on the theoretical aspects of AI algorithms, e.g., non-convex optimization.  Knowing how to program is a definite requirement, but I do not believe you need an entire degree for that.