Transitioning from pure mathematics to artificial intelligence I am studying for a Master's degree in pure mathematics, but still have one year to go with my studies. However, I'm interested in specialising in artificial intelligence and pursuing a PhD. I would also like to work for a start-up that deals with education or robotics. How can I gain the necessary skills to succeed in transitioning from mathematics to AI?
Congratulations on knowing what you want to do! This already puts you a step above many people who are still unsure.
There is good news and bad news for you, at least based on what you've written.

The good news is that familiarity with pure mathematics can be your biggest strength: formal concepts in AI will come easy to you, even when they may be difficult for others. For example, you likely already have the skills necessary to understand matrix algebra, derivatives of multivariable functions, probability and basic statistics, etc.

The bad news is that there are a lot of others like you -- AI is a very hot field, which draws a lot of interest from undergraduate and master's students in general. This makes getting into good programs more competitive.


Taking coursework, including online if you can't take relevant classes as part of your master's program, should put you in a position where you can get into master's programs as well as possibly weaker PhD programs. While you are still studying math, take classes in probability and statistics. If you want to get into good PhD programs, you will need research experience, so the route to take is to first get a master's (for example) in AI, and try to get to know a professor during that time and do some research in a lab.
Whatever your route, having a good mentor to advise you for your personal situation is critical (I would almost say strictly necessary). So keep this in mind as you look at programs. A large program or online program is less likely to give you a good mentor. Even a mentor in a related area like pure math statistics would be much better than nothing.