Understanding the MIT License for the AI Engineering from Scratch Project

The AI Engineering from Scratch repository is released under the permissive MIT License, granting unrestricted rights to use, copy, modify, and distribute the software provided the copyright notice and permission notice are included in all copies.

The rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch project serves as a comprehensive educational curriculum for AI engineering fundamentals. Released under the MIT License, this open-source repository allows developers to freely integrate its code examples, mathematical foundations, and agent-based tutorials into personal, academic, or commercial projects. The full license text resides in the repository's LICENSE file, which establishes the legal framework for all source code, documentation, and derivative works.

MIT License Permissions and Conditions

The MIT License defined in LICENSE (lines 5–9) grants broad permissions while imposing minimal requirements. Understanding these terms ensures compliance when incorporating code from phases/ or scripts/ directories into your own projects.

Usage Rights

According to the source code in LICENSE lines 5–9, the license permits anyone to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the software. This means you can freely adapt the linear algebra examples in phases/01-math-foundations/ or the utility scripts like scripts/install_skills.py into proprietary applications without seeking additional permission.

Attribution Requirements

The license specifies mandatory conditions in lines 11–13: the copyright notice and permission notice must be included in all copies or substantial portions of the software. When distributing derivatives of the AI Engineering from Scratch curriculum, you must preserve the original LICENSE file or include the copyright notice in your project's documentation.

Liability Limitations

Lines 15–21 of the LICENSE file disclaim all warranties, stating the software is provided "as is" without liability. The authors, including copyright holder Rohit Ghumare, explicitly disclaim responsibility for any claims, damages, or liability arising from the use of the educational materials or code implementations.

Applying the MIT License to Derivative Works

When creating projects based on the AI Engineering from Scratch repository, proper license attribution ensures compliance while maintaining the permissive spirit of open-source distribution.

Adding License Headers to Python Files

For Python implementations derived from the curriculum's code examples, include the standard MIT header at the top of your files:

# MIT License

# 
# Copyright (c) 2026 Rohit Ghumare

# 
# Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy

# of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal

# in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights

# to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell

# copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is

# furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

# 
# The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all

# copies or substantial portions of the Software.

# 
# THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR

# IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,

# FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE

# AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER

# LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING

# FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER

# DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

def hello_world():
    print("Hello, AI Engineering from Scratch!")

This header pattern applies to all Python files in the phases/ directory, including mathematical implementations and agent-based code examples.

Configuring npm Packages

For TypeScript or JavaScript projects inspired by the repository's structure, reference the MIT License in your package.json:

{
  "name": "my-awesome-agent",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "license": "MIT",
  "author": "Your Name <you@example.com>",
  "repository": {
    "type": "git",
    "url": "https://github.com/yourname/my-awesome-agent.git"
  }
}

Include a copy of the original LICENSE text in your repository root to satisfy the attribution requirement.

Displaying License Badges

When forking or referencing the project in documentation, use a license badge that links directly to the source:

[![License: MIT](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-yellow.svg)](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/LICENSE)

This badge belongs in your README.md file, providing immediate visibility of the licensing terms to potential users.

Key Files Covered by the MIT License

The MIT License applies comprehensively across the repository structure, ensuring consistent legal coverage for all educational materials.

• LICENSE - Contains the complete legal text governing all repository contents, stored at the repository root.

• README.md - Provides project overview and includes the MIT license badge, linking to the full license terms.

• AGENTS.md - Outlines contributor policies and licensing expectations for community submissions, ensuring all contributions remain under the same permissive terms.

• phases/ - All educational implementations, including phases/01-math-foundations/01-linear-algebra-intuition/code/vectors.py and subsequent phases covering calculus, probability, and agent development.

• scripts/ - Utility automation scripts such as scripts/install_skills.py that support the development environment setup.

Every file within these directories inherits the MIT License by default, requiring only the preservation of copyright notices when redistributed.

Summary

• The MIT License grants maximum freedom for commercial and personal use of the AI Engineering from Scratch curriculum, including the right to sublicense and sell derivatives.

• Attribution is mandatory: All copies must include the original copyright notice and permission text found in the LICENSE file (lines 11–13).

• The license covers all repository contents, from mathematical foundations in phases/01-math-foundations/ to utility scripts in scripts/install_skills.py.

• No warranty is provided: The software is offered "as is" without liability for damages or performance guarantees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use code from AI Engineering from Scratch in commercial products?

Yes. The MIT License explicitly permits commercial use, including selling copies of the software or incorporating the educational code into proprietary products. You may modify the agent implementations or mathematical utilities for profit-generating applications, provided you include the original copyright notice and license text.

Do I need to open-source my modifications if I use this MIT-licensed code?

No. Unlike copyleft licenses, the MIT License does not require you to distribute your source code when you create derivative works. You can keep modifications private or release them under a different license, as long as you preserve the MIT License notice and copyright attribution for the portions derived from the AI Engineering from Scratch repository.

Which files in the repository are covered by the MIT License?

All files in the repository fall under the MIT License, including the curriculum content in phases/, automation scripts in scripts/, documentation in README.md, and contributor guidelines in AGENTS.md. Even individual code examples like vectors.py in the linear algebra section carry the same permissive licensing terms.

Who holds the copyright for the AI Engineering from Scratch project?

According to the LICENSE file, the copyright is held by Rohit Ghumare (Copyright (c) 2026 Rohit Ghumare). When attributing the work in your projects, you must preserve this copyright line along with the full permission notice to remain compliant with the license terms.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}