Is the MacBook Air M5 (16GB/512GB) a good choice for AI/ML as a Computer Science freshman?

Hi everyone!

I'm about to start my first year of Computer Science and I'm planning to buy a new laptop. My budget is around ₹1.2 lakh, and I'm considering the MacBook Air M5 with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD.

I know that most AI/ML professionals use cloud GPUs for training large models, but I'd like to know if this laptop will be sufficient for the next 4–5 years for learning AI/ML, college projects, coding, and experimenting with models.

I want a laptop that won't limit me if I decide to explore AI/ML seriously during college.

Would you recommend the MacBook Air M5, or would a Windows laptop with an NVIDIA RTX GPU be a better long-term investment for someone in my situation?

I'd really appreciate hearing from people who have actually used a MacBook for AI/ML in college. Thanks