Build LLMs From Scratch: Top Free YouTube Courses for 2024

8/12/2025

So, you wanna build a Large Language Model (LLM) from scratch? That’s a BIG goal, & I’m here for it. Honestly, it’s one of the most exciting things you can dive into in the tech world right now. But let's be real, it can also feel like trying to drink from a firehose. The good news? You don’t need a fancy degree or to spend a ton of cash to get started. Turns out, some of the best learning resources are right there on YouTube, for free.

I’ve spent a good amount of time digging through the noise to find the absolute best YouTube courses & channels that will take you from zero to hero in LLM architecture. We’re talking about the real-deal, hands-on stuff that will actually teach you how these magical text-generating machines work under the hood. So grab a coffee, get comfy, & let's get into it.

Why YouTube is Your Secret Weapon for Learning LLMs

Before we dive into the specific channels, let's talk about why YouTube is such a goldmine for this stuff. Textbooks & research papers are great, but they can be dense & super technical, especially when you're just starting out. YouTube, on the other hand, brings these complex ideas to life with visuals, code-alongs, & passionate instructors who are genuinely excited to share their knowledge. You get to learn from industry experts at places like Google & OpenAI without paying a dime. Pretty cool, right?

Here’s the thing, learning this stuff isn’t just for a fun side project. Understanding LLM architecture is becoming a SUPER valuable skill in the job market. Companies are desperate for people who can build & implement generative AI, & they're paying top dollar for that talent. So, whether you're looking to level up your career or just build something awesome, you're in the right place.

The Heavy Hitters: Top-Tier Channels for Serious Learners

If you're ready to go deep & really understand the nuts & bolts of LLM architecture, these are the channels you need to subscribe to, like, yesterday.

1. Andrej Karpathy: The Godfather of "From Scratch" Tutorials

If you've been in the AI space for any length of time, you've probably heard of Andrej Karpathy. He's a legend, plain & simple. As a founding member of OpenAI & former head of AI at Tesla, he knows his stuff. What makes his channel SO special is his ability to break down incredibly complex topics into easy-to-understand, step-by-step coding tutorials.

His "Let's build GPT" video is practically a rite of passage for anyone serious about learning LLMs. He literally builds a GPT-like model from scratch in a single Jupyter notebook, explaining every line of code along the way. It’s a masterclass in teaching, & you’ll walk away with a deep, intuitive understanding of how these models work. He also has a whole playlist on "Building LLMs from scratch," which is just pure gold.

What you'll learn:

The fundamentals of neural networks: He starts with the very basics, so you're not left behind.
Tokenization & embeddings: You'll learn how to convert text into numbers that a model can understand.
The Transformer architecture: This is the heart of modern LLMs, & he demystifies it completely.
Pre-training & fine-tuning: He shows you the entire process, from training a base model to specializing it for specific tasks.

Honestly, if you only watch one channel on this list, make it Andrej Karpathy's. It's that good.

2. freeCodeCamp: The Ultimate Free Resource

You can't talk about learning to code for free without mentioning freeCodeCamp. Their YouTube channel is a treasure trove of high-quality, in-depth tutorials on just about every tech topic imaginable, & generative AI is no exception. They have a fantastic video called "Build Large Language Models from Scratch" that's perfect for beginners.

What I love about freeCodeCamp is that they cater to all levels. They have non-technical intros to generative AI for the absolute beginner, as well as deep-dive courses on prompt engineering, fine-tuning, & even building apps with models like Google's Gemini.

One of their standout courses is a full tutorial on how to train your own LLM from start to finish. It covers everything from loading data & training a tokenizer to pre-training & fine-tuning with LoRA. It’s an incredibly comprehensive course that will give you the hands-on experience you need to build your own models.

What you'll find:

Beginner-friendly intros: If you're new to the world of AI, they'll get you up to speed.
Hands-on coding tutorials: They have a ton of videos that walk you through building real projects.
Courses on specific topics: Want to learn LangChain or Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)? They've got you covered.

3. Sebastian Raschka: The Practical Coder's Guide

Sebastian Raschka is another fantastic resource for anyone who wants to learn by doing. His 3-hour coding workshop, "Building LLMs from the Ground Up," is an absolute must-watch. He takes a very practical, code-first approach, walking you through the entire process of building a GPT-like model in PyTorch.

What's great about Sebastian's workshop is that he doesn't just show you the "how," he explains the "why." You'll learn about the different components of the LLM architecture, how to create a data input pipeline, & how to pre-train your model. He also covers important topics like loading pre-trained weights & instruction finetuning, which are essential for building truly useful models.

What you'll learn:

Coding an LLM from the ground up: You'll get your hands dirty with PyTorch & build a model yourself.
Data preparation & sampling: A crucial, often overlooked part of the process.
Loading pre-trained weights: Learn how to leverage the power of existing models.
Instruction finetuning: This is how you make an LLM follow your instructions & be more helpful.

Broaden Your Horizons: Channels for Deeper Understanding

Once you've got the basics down, it's time to explore the wider world of AI & LLMs. These channels will help you stay up-to-date on the latest research, understand the business implications, & get practical tips from industry experts.

4. Yannic Kilcher: Deep Dives into AI Research

If you want to understand the cutting-edge of AI research, Yannic Kilcher's channel is the place to be. He's known for his incredibly detailed breakdowns of the latest research papers, explaining complex concepts like the attention mechanism & transformer architecture in a way that's both informative & engaging.

Yannic's videos are not for the faint of heart – they're often long & packed with technical details. But if you're serious about mastering LLMs, they are an invaluable resource. He'll give you a deeper understanding of how models like BERT & LLaMA work, & he provides insightful commentary on the latest developments in the field.

5. Krish Naik: The Data Science Guru

Krish Naik is a household name in the data science community, & for good reason. His channel is a one-stop-shop for all things machine learning & AI. He offers a ton of free, in-depth tutorials that are perfect for both beginners & experienced practitioners.

While his channel covers a broad range of topics, he has a wealth of content on LLMs, from the fundamentals to advanced techniques. He's particularly good at explaining things in a clear, concise way, making even the most complex topics feel approachable. If you're looking for a channel that will give you a solid foundation in all aspects of AI, Krish Naik is a fantastic choice.

6. Data Science Dojo: Your Hub for LLM Learning

Data Science Dojo is another excellent channel that's dedicated to making data science & AI accessible to everyone. They have a great series of videos on LLMs that cover everything from the basics to practical applications.

What I like about Data Science Dojo is their focus on hands-on learning. They have a ton of tutorials that will show you how to build & train models, fine-tune them for specific tasks, & even deploy them in the real world. They also cover important topics like AI ethics & best practices, which are crucial for any responsible AI developer.

Putting Your Knowledge to Work: The Business of LLMs

Okay, so you've spent hours learning about tokenization, transformers, & fine-tuning. Now what? Well, here's where things get REALLY interesting. All of this knowledge can be used to build some incredible applications that solve real-world business problems.

This is where a platform like Arsturn comes into play. Think about it: you've learned how to build the engine of an LLM. But what if you want to put that engine into a car? That's what Arsturn helps you do. It's a no-code platform that lets you take your knowledge of LLMs & apply it to create custom AI chatbots for businesses.

Instead of just having a model that can generate text, you can use Arsturn to build a chatbot that's trained on a company's specific data. This means it can provide instant, accurate customer support, answer detailed questions about products & services, & engage with website visitors 24/7. It's the perfect way to bridge the gap between understanding the theory of LLMs & putting them into practice.

For businesses, this is a game-changer. They can automate lead generation, boost conversions, & provide a personalized customer experience that sets them apart from the competition. And for you, the aspiring LLM developer, it's a chance to see your skills make a real impact. You can use a platform like Arsturn to build & deploy sophisticated AI solutions without getting bogged down in the complexities of infrastructure & deployment.

More Channels to Round Out Your Education

The learning doesn't stop with the big names. There are a ton of other fantastic channels out there that offer unique perspectives & valuable insights. Here are a few more to add to your subscription list:

Stanford Online: Want to get an Ivy League education for free? The Stanford Online YouTube channel has you covered. They have a fantastic playlist on "NLP with Deep Learning" that will give you a rock-solid foundation in the concepts that underpin modern LLMs. You'll learn about word embeddings, tokens, & how to build neural networks for text generation.
AssemblyAI: This channel is all about demystifying LLMs & AI. They offer a ton of tutorials on NLP fundamentals, speech AI, & building & optimizing AI models. They're a great resource for staying up-to-date on the latest industry insights.
IBM Technology: If you want to hear from the experts, the IBM Technology channel is a great place to start. They have a lot of videos that explore LLMs from an industry perspective, which can be super valuable for understanding how this technology is being used in the real world.
Nicholas Renotte: For the hands-on learner, Nicholas Renotte's channel is a must-watch. He has a ton of practical tutorials that will show you how to build & implement LLMs for a variety of tasks.
Eye on Tech: This channel does a great job of breaking down complex tech topics, including LLMs, for a broader audience. It's a good resource if you want to get a high-level overview of the field without getting bogged down in the technical details.

Tying It All Together

So there you have it – a comprehensive guide to the best YouTube courses for learning LLM architecture from scratch. We've covered the heavy hitters who will teach you the fundamentals, the channels that will broaden your horizons, & even how you can apply your newfound skills with a platform like Arsturn.

The most important thing is to just get started. Pick a channel that resonates with you, fire up a tutorial, & start coding. It's going to be challenging, but it's also going to be incredibly rewarding. The world of AI is moving at lightning speed, & by diving in now, you're setting yourself up to be at the forefront of the next technological revolution.

I hope this was helpful! Let me know what you think, & if you have any other favorite channels for learning about LLMs, I'd love to hear about them. Happy coding