Do you want to learn to code an artificial intelligence but you don’t know which language to choose? Find out which one to use for your AI project and more in this ranking!
Python is probably the best programming language for developing artificial intelligence in 2023. This is especially true for coding beginners because Python is easy to learn and has a large community offering support and lots of AI modules.
Learning to work with artificial intelligences is an increasingly important skill if you are a developer or learning to code.
In this article, I rank the best languages for creating AI based on several criteria:
- Accessibility: the ease of learning and using the language
- The community: developers and AI companies who use the language
- Libraries: the maturity of libraries and AI frameworks in the language
| Language | Use case |
| 1. Python | The best overall |
| 2. Java | Performance and ease |
| 3. C++ | Speed and performance |
| 4. R | Statistical capabilities |
| 5. Julia | Data analysis |
| 6. Matlab | Visualization with GUI |
| 7. Scala | Modern and compatible |
| 8. Lisp | The oldest |
| 9. Prolog | Logic programming |
Let’s start without further delay to see what are the strengths of the different languages to create AI!
1. Python
Python is the best language for creating artificial intelligences because it meets all the most important criteria.
- Python is accessible because it is very easy to learn and use on a daily basis.
- The language has a huge community as it is popular with both home developers and big companies like Google, Meta, and Microsoft.
- An impressive number of AI and Machine Learning modules exist for the different needs of AI developers.
It is for all these reasons that OpenAI decided to use Python to create ChatGPT.
2. Java
Java is a very popular language among artificial intelligence developers because it is powerful, scalable, has a large community and therefore mature libraries for AI.
His JVM (Java Virtual Machine) also allows him to launch Java applications on all machines that have the JVM.
Java is a little less easy to learn than Python but excels in everything else and it fully deserves its second place in this ranking of the best languages for creating artificial intelligences.
3. C++
C++ is the fastest and most powerful language that is used in the development of artificial intelligences. It is a low level language which can therefore operate directly with hardware computing equipment.
This programming language is compatible with many interfaces, super-fast, has a large community and a lot of AI code that already exists in C++.
C++ is more difficult to learn than Java or Python, which makes the language less accessible, especially to coding beginners.
4. R
R is the language of statistics. In addition to statistics, it is particularly powerful for data analysis, which is why many artificial intelligence and machine learning developers use it.
R is however not as fast and efficient as languages like Java or C++. And it’s not as accessible as Python, its syntax isn’t the easiest to learn.
5. Julia
Julia is a language appreciated by artificial intelligence developers for its speed, its interoperability with other programming languages and its dynamic typing. It is a good language for data analysis and it is increasingly used for AI and machine learning.
However, Julia is not as advanced as a language like Python or R. It is relatively recent and therefore has a smaller community and fewer AI libraries. In addition, Julia is less accessible than higher level languages like Python or Java.
6. Matlab
Matlab is a complete platform that is widely used in the world of AI. The programming language was created for engineering and for coding mathematical models, which makes it a good choice for developing artificial intelligences.
A big negative point is that Matlab requires paying for a license, which can make it inaccessible to independent developers who cannot afford it. Also, Matlab is much less efficient than languages like C++ or Julia.
Matlab official website
7. Scala
Scala is a modern high-performance language perfect for heavy and complex applications such as artificial intelligence. The language is fully compatible with Java as it runs on the Java Virtual Machine.
Scala is a little harder to learn than Java or Python and has a smaller community.
8. Lisp
Do you like parentheses?
Lisp was first introduced in 1958 by John McCarthy and became a reality over 60 years ago. The community of researchers in artificial intelligence quickly invested in the language which made it evolve to create AI.
In 2023, Lisp is less used than the other languages we saw earlier in this ranking. Its community wanes over time, leading to less support and AI projects in the language.
Also, its syntax based on parentheses is … particular … which makes it much less accessible than a language like Python.
9. Prolog
Prolog uses logic programming as a paradigm. Its declarative nature makes it a very practical language for working with data and therefore creating artificial intelligences.
Its paradigm is its strength but can also be its weakness as it makes the language not very accessible to novice developers.
Which Python module for AI?
Python is an excellent choice for coding artificial intelligences. Python developers have therefore created many libraries for AI and ML. There are different packages depending on your needs. The most used modules for AI are NumPy, TensorFlow or PyTorch.
There are many other artificial intelligence modules in Python like Pandas, Scikit, Matplotlib, Keras or even Seaborn.
Table of the different Python libraries for AI
Here is a table that shows the main Python modules for machine learning, scientific computing and DataViz:
| Module Python | Use case |
| TensorFlow | Machine Learning |
| Numpy | Scientific calculation |
| PyTorch | Machine Learning |
| Pandas | Data Visualisation |
| Scikit-learn | Machine Learning |
| Matplotlib | Data Visualization |
| Hard | Machine Learning |
| Seaborn | Data Visualisation |
How to create an artificial intelligence without knowing how to code?
Yes, it’s possible to work on artificial intelligence when you don’t know how to code. No-code AI platforms like Sway AI and Akkio offer simple interfaces to create AI by dragging and dropping objects or with assistance.
Of course you will quickly be limited in your creative power and we are not there to see the day when data scientists and AI developers are sidelined because of no code!
Learning to code is therefore essential if you want to go far in artificial intelligence, but it is possible to do this gradually by already creating your first AIs without knowing how to code.
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