Career Question: Self Study vs MS w/Thesis vs PhD

Hello everybody,

I am a programmer working in the commercial world, and I would like to
get into AI, preferably a position that amounts some amount of
research/creativity. I have never done AI related work before, so I am
considering the following options to make me more palatable to
employers. I am targeting industry and government, not a professorship
in academia.

1) read up on ai on my own

2) do an MS with thesis at a local college. The advantage of this over
a Phd is that I can keep my current job and do it in the evening

3) go in for a full time PhD. I would enjoy the opportunity to do a
full blown research project, but there is the cost factor of chucking
in my job for 6 years


I would like to know what people think of these options. Any comments
would be welcome,

Thanks,

-Sam Banerjee

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