AI Tools for Developers
AI is Now Part of the Developer Toolkit
AI coding assistants have fundamentally changed how software gets written. Developers who use them effectively ship features faster, write better tests, and spend less time on boilerplate. Developers who ignore them fall behind.
This section covers the major AI tools used in professional development — what each one does well, how to use it effectively, and practical workflows you can adopt today.
The Tools
| Tool | Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot | IDE plugin | In-editor autocomplete, line/function suggestions |
| Cursor | AI-native IDE | Chat-driven code editing, codebase-aware changes |
| Claude Code | CLI + IDE | Terminal-based coding agent, large refactors, file operations |
| ChatGPT / Claude | Web chat | Explaining concepts, research, design discussions |
They're not interchangeable — each has a different interaction model. Understanding which to reach for is the real skill.
What You'll Learn
- GitHub Copilot — how autocomplete AI works and how to guide it effectively
- Cursor — chat-driven editing and codebase-aware AI features
- Claude Code — CLI agent for multi-file tasks, git operations, and terminal work
- Prompting strategies — how to get consistently useful output from any AI tool
- When NOT to use AI — the cases where AI makes things worse
Prerequisites
Basic familiarity with:
- A code editor (VS Code or similar)
- Running commands in a terminal
- Git basics
No AI experience necessary.