Hi everyone, Igor Fraga here! We recently had a really interesting live talk on the Out of the Box Developer podcast. It was called "How to become an AI-augmented developer" and we talked about how AI is changing how we code. We had some great experts who explained how AI is becoming a big part of software development. I want to share the main points we talked about, so you can learn how to use AI to improve your coding!
Here's what we discussed:
1. Think Like an AI-Augmented Developer (It's Important!)
We started by talking about what it means to be "AI-augmented." As we said in the live stream, it's important to know this isn't just a short trend. It's not just about being an AI engineer or a regular coder. It's something new and very important. We said that using AI is key to staying up-to-date in tech today. AI isn't going to replace us, but it's like a helper that makes us better developers, making us faster and more skilled.
2. AI Tools on Your Computer: Using Local AI
I was really happy to talk about local AI tools. Luis Real showed us cool tools like Ollama, which lets you use AI models on your own computer, and CodeGPT, which works inside your IntelliJ IDE. We also talked about how well these tools work and what computer parts you need. Like I mentioned, if you want local AI to run well, a good graphics card like the RTX 3090 suggested by Douglas is a good idea.
3. Cloud or Local AI: Which is Best?
We spent time comparing cloud AI services (like GitHub Copilot and Cursor) with local AI models. We looked at the good and bad of each. We talked about saving money, different uses – like making images that aren't controlled or when company rules limit cloud use – and following rules and laws. We suggested using private AI servers for a whole company, and we discussed if that was possible.
4. AI Makes You Faster and Helps Fix Code
Pedro Cavalero explained how AI is becoming more and more involved in coding. He talked about different levels, from not using AI at all to being a full AI engineer. Then, he showed us GitHub Copilot's "agent mode," which is really amazing. It can do things automatically like write code, test it, and even fix mistakes! We all agreed AI tools are great for changing code to be better (refactoring) and doing boring tasks automatically. This lets us focus on the more important and creative parts of coding.
5. AI in Action: Real Examples
To show how AI works, Pedro did a live demo! He made a snake game in Python using Pygame, with help from Copilot. It was incredible to see AI write code and help solve problems right there and then. We also looked at testing code and how AI can fix errors, showing how AI can improve our coding process. We brought up using AI in big projects with lots of code, which led to a good talk about how to do that.
6. Future Coding: "Vibe Coding" and AI Teams
Looking to the future, Douglas talked about "Vibe Coding." I think this is where coding is going – imagine just telling AI what to do with your voice or by typing! We also talked about how AI can help smaller teams, or even single developers, do as much as big teams. This is a big change in how teams work and how much they can do. Like I said in the stream, if you want to be a good developer in the future, you need to use AI.
7. Learn Tools and Keep Learning: Your Next Steps
The experts gave clear advice: don't try to learn every AI tool at once. Instead, focus on learning one or two well to become good at using AI. We told everyone to try out tools like Cursor and Copilot to see what works best for them. And, like I always say, learning never stops! AI is changing fast, so we need to keep learning.
8. Worries and Doing Things Right: Think About Ethics
We also talked about some problems. We discussed if new developers might rely too much on AI, and not learn how to find and fix problems themselves. We know that AI tools aren't always right – they can sometimes give wrong answers, so we still need to check their work. And, of course, we talked about important ethical things like following rules, keeping data safe, and using AI in a good way.
9. Tool Suggestions: Cursor, Copilot, and Good AI Models
We suggested some specific tools. Cursor was mentioned as a really good one, especially for finding code and using tools. We talked a lot about GitHub Copilot, including its agent mode and different model choices. We also mentioned Claude 3.5 Sonnet models as great for coding and working well.
10. Last Words: Start Using AI Now!
To finish, we all agreed on a strong message. Start using AI tools now! Use them to code faster and stay ahead. Like I advised, start simple, try the basic things, and then explore the more advanced AI features. Becoming an AI-augmented developer is a journey, and it means always learning and changing in the tech world.
Main Point: Our live stream on Out of the Box Developer gave you a simple guide for becoming an AI-augmented developer. By using these tools, always learning, and carefully adding AI to your work, you can become much more productive and creative in the age of AI.
If you missed the live stream, or want to watch it again, you can find it here below. Let me know what you think, and which AI tools you are excited to try!
https://igorfragadev.com/becoming-an-ai-augmented-developer-and-why-you-have-to/
See you in the next post!
Top comments (0)