Ask HN: Possible ways to transition into AI?

I've become very interested in working on AI and am trying to find out the best way to transition into it (or maybe decide I shouldn't). Background: I'm single in my low 20s, studied enough CS to get a degree in it at a top-ish school in the US, though I don't think I'm that particularly gifted technically (no math/cs competition background, was ~average among my classmates; just smart enough to ace the SATs). I have a full-time commitment now in a completely different field (which I was drawn to more than what I imagined a software engineering job to realistically be like), but recently, I've lost complete interest in it because I've somehow convinced myself that AI is really the only problem worth working on. Questions: 1) Having no evidence of technical brilliance / experience at a famous tech company, is it even possible for me to end up working in a meaningful AI job? Every AI firm I've heard of only hires truly exceptionally talented people (IMO winners etc), or at least people who were "tracked" into AI (top phd program in related field). 2) If it is possible, what is the optimal way to transition? Do I try to work on side projects outside of my full-time commitment, or should I quit first? What do I have to achieve on my own for people to take me seriously? I feel like taking some MOOC and showing off some toy project is somehow insufficient.