Improve Your Coding Workflow Using These Free AI Tools

The video begins with an introduction to various free AI tools that can enhance productivity during coding. The speaker plans to discuss three main tools: Perplexity UI, a search engine to replace traditional ones like Google; Find, a tool focused on coding; and Codium, a replacement for GitHub Copilot. The speaker expresses optimism that these free tools will not lose their value in the future, despite companies often reducing the quality of free tiers. The discussion emphasizes that while there are paid versions with more advanced models, the free versions are still quite capable and useful.

The speaker delves into the specifics of Perplexity UI, a general search engine designed to outperform traditional search engines. The speaker demonstrates Perplexity UI's ability to understand natural human language queries and provide accurate results, using the example of finding a gradient tool created by Adam Argy. The speaker also highlights the tool's ability to remember past searches and provide relevant results, even for niche topics like podcast mentions or detailed coding information. However, the speaker notes that while Perplexity AI can assist with tasks like fixing grammatical errors, it sometimes requires user prompting to provide the corrected text.

The speaker introduces Find, a tool tailored for coding-related inquiries. It uses a specialized model, Find 34b, which can be upgraded in the pro version, though the speaker finds the basic version sufficient. The tool can answer questions, provide summaries, and even link to relevant documentation. The speaker also mentions a VS Code extension for Find, which can be explored for convenience. The speaker emphasizes Find's ability to provide resources and summaries, making it a valuable tool for developers.

The speaker discusses the limitations of AI tools in coding, noting that while they are not infallible, they can be a valuable resource for learning and expanding one's horizons. The speaker advises against complacency and encourages users to verify the AI's suggestions. The speaker also highlights the importance of using AI to learn and understand concepts, such as JavaScript's requestAnimationFrame, rather than just copying and pasting code. The speaker shares an example of how AI can provide insights into a coding concept, even if the AI's coding example isn't perfect.

The speaker introduces Codium, an AI coding assistant that supports multiple editors and leverages the language server protocol. Codium offers autocomplete and chat assistant features, with unlimited usage in its free version. The speaker compares Codium favorably to GitHub Copilot, noting that Codium supports more languages and does not impose restrictions on usage. The speaker also discusses Codium's tutorial, Codium University, which provides a comprehensive guide on how to use the tool effectively. The speaker demonstrates Codium's autocomplete features and its ability to understand context from open files.

The speaker explores Codium's advanced features, such as explaining error messages, refactoring code, and providing high-level overviews of code functionality. The speaker emphasizes the practicality of these features, using examples to demonstrate how Codium can assist in understanding and resolving coding issues. The speaker also highlights the ability to use Codium's commands for various tasks, such as generating documentation or refactoring code for better readability and structure. The speaker concludes by encouraging viewers to make the most of these AI tools to enhance their coding skills and productivity.