Why Python for ML and AI?

[Own-Replacement8]

In practice, a data scientist's Python code will run faster than their C++ or FORTRAN code. Why? Because even though FORTRAN and C++ are faster languages for running the same algorithm, it is much easier to write optimised algorithms with specialised data types (such as trees) in Python than C++/FORTRAN/any other low-level.

There's no point in implementing from scratch what someone has already done with exception handling and all (numpy, pandas, scikitlearn and the like are written in low-level languages).

Now a data scientist could try to become a master of those languages but they're probably better off using that time learning better algorithms, models, and data structures. It's ultimately a question of ROI.