A quick look at different AI tools
The so-called prompt kings keep selling us dreams daily on LinkedIn. But behind all the hype, AI can actually be useful and make us more productive. We see it everywhere: in our apps, our work tools, our entertainment. In just a few years, it's become part of our daily lives, thanks to its ability to generate text, images, code, music, or even analyze complex data.
In this not-at-all exhaustive article, let's take a tour of some of the most useful AI tools, grouped by domain.
AI tools for developers
Since we're on a developer-focused site, let's start with the tools built specifically for us 🙂
But honestly, you probably know them better than I do ._.'
As developers, we're spoiled. AI-powered coding assistants help us a lot. When we're out of inspiration, they nudge us in the right direction. When we're stuck on a compiler error in a language we don't know that well, they can unblock us quickly.
That said, unlike the dream-sellers on LinkedIn, we're far from being replaced ^^ (At least for now, haha).
Some key tools:
- GitHub Copilot: integrated into Visual Studio Code and other IDEs. It can autocomplete entire functions, generate tests, and suggest fixes. Worth noting: there's a free trial with some limitations.
- Tabnine: offers completions based on your team's code and learns from your projects to match your conventions.
- Cursor: an IDE built from the ground up with AI in mind, featuring smart refactoring, contextual chat, and easier navigation. It's been getting a lot of buzz lately.
- Sourcegraph Cody: great for large codebases. It can explain files, show where a function is used, and generate documentation.
- Mistral Codestral: a model specialized in code generation and correction, with solid performance in completion and Fill-in-the-Middle tasks. Go France 🙂
- Replit Ghostwriter: perfect for collaborative online projects, especially for quick prototyping.
Concrete use cases
- Faster prototyping: quickly generate skeletons for apps or scripts. Honestly, for tiny scripts, it saves me from overthinking.
- Debugging faster: detect and fix bugs with instant suggestions.
- Unit test generation: automate this often tedious task. Still, keep an eye out, because it can produce useless or irrelevant tests.
- Code documentation: generate docs directly from existing code.
- Exploring legacy codebases: ask AI to explain the purpose of obscure functions or modules (it might at least give you a hint).
Goodbye to some of the repetitive, heavy tasks. For that alone, thank you AI ^^
Conversational AI and productivity
Conversational assistants have become the most visible face of this revolution. They help us write, summarize, brainstorm, even code. For translating documentation, drafting emails, or creating presentations, these tools have become essential.
- ChatGPT (OpenAI): probably the most popular. Great for generating text, marketing content, emails, or explaining concepts.
- Claude (Anthropic): specializes in handling long contexts, very useful for working with large documents.
- Mistral: a European alternative, partly open source, focused on performance and transparency. My PHP code fixer uses Mistral 🙂
- Gemini (Google): tightly integrated with Google's ecosystem (Docs, Gmail, Sheets), making it great for everyday productivity.
Visual content creation
Image and video generation by AI exploded in 2024–2025. These tools make it easy to create high-quality visuals, sometimes surprisingly realistic, though there's still occasionally an artificial feel.
- DALL·E 3 (OpenAI): widely used for generating realistic images from text descriptions.
- MidJourney: known for its artistic, stylized output.
- Stable Diffusion: open source and highly customizable.
- Runway Gen-2: generates videos from text or images. A promising tool for audiovisual creation.
Music and audio
AI doesn't stop at text or images. Since I'm not a music expert, I'll let you judge these tools for yourself.
- Suno: generates full songs, lyrics and melodies included.
- Aiva: specialized in orchestral music and composition for video games or films.
- Descript: an audio/video tool that lets you edit by manipulating text. Very handy for podcasts.
Data and analytics
Data is said to be the gold of the 21st century (and when I see the profits of the Magnificent Seven, I tend to believe it). AI helps turn raw data into actionable insights. These tools help visualize, analyze, and predict trends from massive datasets.
- ChatGPT with Advanced Data Analysis (ex-Code Interpreter): great for manipulating data, creating charts, or analyzing CSV files.
- Power BI with Copilot: Microsoft is bringing AI into its BI tools.
- DataRobot: a platform specialized in predictive analytics.
Creative domains and other uses
- Canva AI: generate presentations, visuals, even text.
- Notion AI: organize, summarize, and create content directly in your notes.
- GrammarlyGo: automatically corrects and improves your writing.
- Fireflies.ai: takes notes and summarizes your meetings.
Conclusion
AI tools are now everywhere, helping us write, code, draw, compose, analyze, and more.
The big question is no longer "Should I use AI?" but rather "How can I use these tools smartly in my work?"
And despite what the prompt kings say, AI isn't here to replace humans. It's here to help us be more efficient and creative (though, yes, in some jobs it will significantly reduce headcount—but it's far from universal).
