Some people have made javascript-based ML models to run in the browser (I think some were made for this course[1]), but these are for educational purposes rather than actual use.
Basically you get your source speech as an uncompressed WAV file, create an IBM Bluemix account (free trial), create a Watson "app" on the site (basically gives you some credentials for calling the API), and then write a script to upload your WAV file to the API and decode the JSON response.
It gets more complex when you want to start parallelizing the process to make it faster, and dealing with the results in an intelligent manner, but the initial proof of concept is remarkably easy.
If I recall, the Google one was even easier - no script at all, did it all with curl I think.
So I have started using IBM's Watson platform, and some of Google's AI tools. I was specifically interested in speech processing applications (I have some background in signal processing and audio, which helps a little), and I've found the Watson stuff particularly useful.
At the end of the day, if depends on your motivation. If you really want to become a true expert, stop reading this and start studying. Otherwise, I think there does exist a significant "gap in the market", as it were, to build useful front ends to these technologies, which currently exist as raw APIs.
In terms of career prospects, I have already met several Watson consultants, who do exactly that, and charge top dollar for it. The plain fact is, it doesn't take very much to be considered an AI "expert" in the current climate. And you're probably more likely to get there quickly by standing on the shoulders of giants than by dedicating your life to a PhD.