How to start with AI and Machine Learning.

Graph searching methods such as: depth-first search,
breath-first search,
iterative deepening,
A-star search (Uses Heuristic evaluations) are usually a good place to start.

This will give you a good grounding in how AI works. There is an MIT professor on youtube who speaks well on each of these search methods.

Maybe then after you have developed a fundamental understanding, you can move to other interesting AI algorithms like Simulated Annealing, Genetic Algorithms & Neural networks. ( Very cool stuff )

And a good statistics and mathematical optimization background will be very helpful.

If.... else....

@htlr nice one