How much is Calculus used in Data Science/Artificial intelligence

[Hunali]

I'm a freshman in university and I'm studying Computer science and engineering. This will be my second year of studying. We don't have Calculus as a mandatory class but I can take it from elective classes.

Is calculus necessary for my future as a student and would it help me in data science or AI? That's what I'm really interested in and I want to work for either of them. Would Calculus make my education easier (how much Calculus is used in those fields, I mean) in the future and in my work? In my next semesters, I want to take just Artificial intelligence and Data Science classes (Data mining, Data Science, Mechanical Learning, etc). Is calculus needed for that?

Thanks for your time reading and answering my question.

 

[Deleted member 4993]

I'm a freshman in university and I'm studying Computer science and engineering. This will be my second year of studying. We don't have Calculus as a mandatory class but I can take it from elective classes.

Is calculus necessary for my future as a student and would it help me in data science or AI? That's what I'm really interested in and I want to work for either of them. Would Calculus make my education easier (how much Calculus is used in those fields, I mean) in the future and in my work? In my next semesters, I want to take just Artificial intelligence and Data Science classes (Data mining, Data Science, Mechanical Learning, etc). Is calculus needed for that?

Thanks for your time reading and answering my question.

Depends on what do you want to do in that field!

If you want to be a technician who obeys orders handed down by superiors - you would not need any calculus.

If you want to be innovator in that field, you need to master very high level of statistics. And in there if you want to interrogate "whys/hows", you would definitely need calculus.

 

[BenSm1th]

I'm a freshman in university and I'm studying Computer science and engineering. This will be my second year of studying. We don't have Calculus as a mandatory class but I can take it from elective classes.

Is calculus necessary for my future as a student and would it help me in data science or AI? That's what I'm really interested in and I want to work for either of them. Would Calculus make my education easier (how much Calculus is used in those fields, I mean) in the future and in my work? In my next semesters, I want to take just Artificial intelligence and Data Science classes (Data mining, Data Science, Mechanical Learning, etc). Is calculus needed for that?

Thanks for your time reading and answering my question.









I’ve been in a similar spot, trying to plan ahead and wondering which skills would actually matter later instead of just filling my schedule. What I learned is that theory is important, but managing real work and information flow becomes just as critical once projects start piling up. When I began juggling learning, side projects, and communication, I needed help staying organized and focused. That’s where an ai tool for business made a difference for me. It handles routine coordination and messages quietly, so mental energy stays on learning and problem-solving, not on constant distractions.

yes, it’s worth taking. Calculus is widely used in AI and machine learning, mainly for optimization, gradients, and training models. You don’t need deep theory, but understanding derivatives makes ML less “magic” and much easier to learn and apply later.