Everyone says "just learn AI." Nobody tells you it costs $0–$50 to go from zero to job-ready — if you know exactly where to look. Most "learn AI" guides assume you have a $200/month Coursera subscription, a beefy GPU, and time to wade through 40-hour courses. You don't need any of that. Here's the actual path, with specific resources and realistic time estimates. Step 1: Build Your Python Foundation in 2 Weeks (Cost: $0) You cannot skip Python. But you don't need to master it — you need enough Python to manipulate data, call APIs, and read other people's code. Free resources that actually work: CS50P (Harvard, free on edX) — 10 hours, covers everything you need. No certificate required, just watch and code along. Python.org official tutorial — dry but precise. Use it as a reference, not a course. Replit — free browser-based Python environment. No local setup headaches. Target skills after 2 weeks: loops, functions, dictionaries, file I/O, basic OOP, and reading a traceback without panicking.…