Get Started with Databricks for Machine Learning

This course focuses on the fundamentals of preparing data for machine learning using Databricks. Participants will learn essential skills for exploring, cleaning, and organizing data tailored for traditional machine learning applications. Key topics include data visualization, feature engineering, and optimal feature storage strategies. Through practical exercises, participants will gain hands-on experience in efficiently preparing data sets for machine learning within the Databricks. This course is designed for associate-level data scientists and machine learning practitioners. and individuals seeking to enhance their proficiency in data preparation, ensuring a solid foundation for successful machine learning model deployment.

This course, updated June 2024, is the latest version of the Generative AI Engineering with Databricks course. It is aimed at data scientists, machine learning engineers, and other data practitioners looking to build generative AI applications with the latest and most popular frameworks and Databricks capabilities. Below, we describe each of the four, four-hour modules included in this course.

Generative AI Solution Development: This is your introduction to contextual generative AI solutions using the retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) method. First, you’ll be introduced to RAG architecture and the significance of contextual information using Mosaic AI Playground. Next, we’ll show you how to prepare data for generative AI solutions and connect this process with building a RAG architecture. Finally, you’ll explore concepts related to context embedding, vectors, vector databases, and the utilization of Mosaic AI Vector Search.

Generative AI Application Development: Ready for information and practical experience in building advanced LLM applications using multi-stage reasoning LLM chains and agents? In this module, you'll first learn how to decompose a problem into its components and select the most suitable model for each step to enhance business use cases. Following this, we’ll show you how to construct a multi-stage reasoning chain utilizing LangChain and HuggingFace transformers. Finally, you’ll be introduced to agents and will design an autonomous agent using generative models on Databricks.

Generative AI Application Evaluation and Governance: This is your introduction to evaluating and governing generative AI systems. First, you’ll explore the meaning behind and motivation for building evaluation and governance/security systems. Next, we’ll connect evaluation and governance systems to the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform. Third, we’ll teach you about a variety of evaluation techniques for specific components and types of applications. Finally, the course will conclude with an analysis of evaluating entire AI systems with respect to performance and cost.

Generative AI Application Deployment and Monitoring: Ready to learn how to deploy, operationalize, and monitor generative deploying, operationalizing, and monitoring generative AI applications? This module will help you gain skills in the deployment of generative AI applications using tools like Model Serving. We’ll also cover how to operationalize generative AI applications following best practices and recommended architectures. Finally, we’ll discuss the idea of monitoring generative AI applications and their components using Lakehouse Monitoring.

This course prepares data professionals to leverage the Databricks Lakehouse Platform to productionalize ETL pipelines. Students will use Delta Live Tables to define and schedule pipelines that incrementally process new data from a variety of data sources into the Lakehouse. Students will also orchestrate tasks with Databricks Workflows and promote code with Databricks Repos.