Dear Student,

You do not directly need Physics to learn AI and Data Science, but if you are a Physicist then Machine Learning and AI will a natural domain for you where you can shine and outperform others as at a rudimentary level many methods for implementing AI ( Machine Learning ML) are developed and used by the Physicist for the last several decades or centuries, only difference is that they did not use the name ML or AI etc. So, yes it not mandatory at all, but if you developed serious knowledge in Physics then you will develop certain unusual intuitions and understanding of complex systems and skills and experience to tackle them which will make you naturally shine and outperform others in the areas of AI and Data Science.

Thank You.