Theo, the developer behind t3.gg, posted something on X this week that a lot of people quietly agreed with:
"There are hundreds of 'ai dev influencers' who share their thoughts, tools, skills, etc. There's maybe 10 who actually know what they're talking about." (Theo on X)
He was talking about developers. In India, I see the same thing across every field. And many of those influencers now sell courses.
So here is my take: don't follow AI influencers. Follow people who use AI in your job. And before you pay any AI teacher, including me, ask five questions.
If you are choosing a 1:1 mentor specifically, I have a full checklist in How to Choose an AI Mentor in India. This post is about courses, cohorts and the people selling them.
Why this matters now
Three things worry me.
1. Fear is being sold as a skill. In The Statesman, chartered accountant Sagar Gambhir wrote that "Anxiety is the real product on sale," and that the AI-course pitch is "the coaching-class pitch, repackaged for an anxious age." He also points out that India's consumer protection guidelines for coaching already prohibit claims of guaranteed jobs or salary increases.
2. "Guaranteed placement" can fail, and courts notice. On 16 September 2026, the Gurdaspur District Consumer Commission ordered Eduinx Education Services to refund Rs 84,960 to an MBA graduate. He had joined its six-month AI in product management course after an ad promised "100 percent guaranteed placement", and did not get a job. The commission said a company cannot use that phrase to sell a course and later treat it as just forwarding a profile and arranging interviews. It also ordered Rs 10,000 compensation and Rs 5,000 costs. (Times of India, Education Post)
3. Using AI is not the same as learning. The OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026 says that without pedagogical guidance, "outsourcing tasks to GenAI simply enhances performance with no real learning gains." It notes studies where students with chatbots produced better work, but the advantage disappeared, and sometimes reversed, in exams when access is removed. A course that only shows you prompts can make you look productive without making you more capable.
Five questions to ask before you pay any AI teacher
Ask these of every course, cohort or mentor. Ask them of me too.
- Does this person use AI in work like mine? Not "AI expert". Do they work in, or deeply with, your field: finance, HR, teaching, operations, software? Ask for one real example of work they changed with AI. Follower count is not evidence.
- Will I practise on my own work? The OECD findings point the same way: learning happens when you do the thinking. Ask how many hours are spent on your real tasks, with feedback, versus watching videos.
- How will we know I learned it? Ask what you will be able to do without the teacher at the end, and how that gets checked. If the only proof is a "certificate of completion", it is, as The Statesman put it, "a receipt for attendance and not a credential."
- What is promised, in writing? Price, refund policy, what happens if you drop out. If anyone promises a job or salary hike, ask for it in the contract. The Eduinx case shows why.
- Would the free option be enough for me? Try the free basics first: the government's YUVA AI for ALL course (mentioned in The Statesman), NPTEL, or Google AI Essentials. I compare free and paid options in Best AI Courses in India for 2027. Pay only for what free cannot give you: structure, feedback and accountability.
A good teacher will be happy you asked. As Gambhir wrote: "If the seller grows irritated by these questions, the questions have done their job."
Red flags I'd walk away from
- "Learn AI in 7 days and never worry about your job."
- A fixed list of "the 50 tools you must know". Tools change every few months.
- No visible price, or a price that drops sharply when you hesitate.
- Testimonials with no names, roles or outcomes.
- Pressure to pay today.
Where I stand
I run 1:1 AI mentorship, so I have an interest here. That is exactly why I want you to ask me these five questions. If a free course covers what you need, take it. If you need a plan built around your own work, someone to check your thinking, and accountability, that is what mentorship is for.
Don't follow the loudest voice. Follow the person whose work looks like the work you want to do.
If you want to see how we answer these five questions, see our programs at The Arthi AI Collective: https://thearthiaicollective.com/programs
Sources
- Theo (t3.gg) on X, 2 Nov 2026 (IST): https://x.com/theo/status/2117026145518686701
- OECD, "OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026: Exploring Effective Uses of Generative AI in Education", 19 Jan 2026: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-digital-education-outlook-2026_062a7394-en.html
- The Statesman, Sagar Gambhir, "AI courses bank on economics of fear", 26 Oct 2026: https://www.thestatesman.com/opinion/ai-courses-bank-on-economics-of-fear-1503655057.html
- Times of India, "Paid Rs 84,960 for '100% placement guarantee', got no job: MBA graduate wins refund": https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/legal/news/100-guaranteed-placement-promise-fails-education-firm-ordered-to-refund-rs-84960/articleshow/134427048.cms
- Education Post, "EdTech firm told to refund over Rs 84,000 after '100% placement guarantee' fails": https://educationpost.in/news/education/edtech-firm-told-to-refund-over-84000-after-100-placement-guarantee-fails