Vertex AI is a machine learning (ML) platform that enables teams to collaborate using a common toolset. It combines data engineering, data science, and ML engineering workflows to help users train and deploy ML models and AI applications. To prepare for the exam, users can reference the exam guide, Google Cloud Tech YouTube Channel AI Adventure Playlist, Google Cloud Tech YouTube Channel Vertex AI Playlist by Priyanka Vegadia, and Visualizing Google Cloud by Priyanka Vegadia.