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Software Engineers: 8 Best AI Tools To Level Up Your Productivity [2024]
The software engineers capitalising on artificial intelligence (AI) have discovered they can unlock 2.5x productivity gains.
To put that into perspective, those nailing AI are regaining 3 hours in every 8-hour day.
But most of us aren’t making AI work for us yet.
And it’s not just about faster coding. Good use of AI can eliminate tedious chores, help us convey ideas better get far more quality work done – to name a few. An increasing number of employers are taking note too – those savvy about AI can increase their price tag in the marketplace.
We can use AI in engineering in all kinds of ways, such as…
- Delivery
- DevOps
- QA and testing
- Productivity
Here, I’m going to focus on productivity AI tools for software developers.
So, let’s go through 8 of the best AI tools that you can use to turbo your workflow…
1. Stepsize AI
Staying aligned and up-to-date can be an enormous time (and effort) drain.
Us software developers spend as much as 30% of our valuable time doing things like…
- Trawling through our systems of record (like Jira, Linear or GitHub) to try and work out what’s happening
- Chasing people for updates
- Going to informational meetings sharing updates that could have been a message.
- Writing updates or filling people in on progress.
- Sorting out messes when the things above have gone sideways!
True alignment seems elusive, and we waste too much time chasing it.
That’s why I built Stepsize AI with my team.
Stepsize AI creates alignment by delivering automatic, tailored weekly reports that bring your attention to what matters.
Stepsize AI observes everything happening on your Jira board or Linear team. It develops context about your projects and goals, and forms connections between tasks, activities and more.
The result is super accurate, automatic weekly sprint reports with the perfect amount of context and detail.
And, without you having to do any trawling through issues or generating multiple reports full of raw data, it’ll…
- Show you the data you need along with useful commentary
- Give spooky accurate summaries of your progress on your sub-projects
- Bring everything back to your goals
- …And give you links to sources, so you can find out more if needed.
In the end, everyone stays informed without overwhelming you with raw data.
Stepsize AI is already helping transform product engineering at all kinds of software organisations, and I’d love to see if it can do that for you, too.
Learn more about Stepsize, and get your first report free.
2. Mintlify Writer
Automates the tedious task of code documentation.
Mintlify Writer takes care of one of the most overlooked yet critical aspects of software development: documentation. Instead of treating documentation as an afterthought, this tool generates comprehensive, context-aware docs, freeing you to concentrate on coding.
Useful features
- One-Click Documentation: Instantly generates comprehensive documentation.
- Wide Language Support: Compatible with a variety of programming languages.
- Context-Aware: Algorithms generate relevant descriptions, streamlining the documentation process.
- Works with VSCode and IntelliJ
This tool is a game-changer for complex projects where keeping documentation up-to-date is crucial. Mintlify Writer lets you focus on what you excel at: solving problems through code.
Learn more about Mintlify Writer
3. Phind
A search engine tailor-made for software engineers.
Phind serves as your dedicated search companion, offering specialized answers to your coding questions. Unlike general-purpose search engines, it narrows down results to what's most useful for developers, saving you valuable time.
Useful features
- Detailed Answers: Provides insightful responses to your coding queries.
- Related Search Links: Offers additional resources to complement the answers.
- Free to Use: No subscriptions or hidden charges.
Phind is ideal for software engineers who frequently scour forums or rely on general search engines for coding-related queries. It offers accurate, context-rich responses that save you time and effort.
4. AudioPen
Turn your rambling thoughts into coherent notes.
AudioPen offers an alternative to traditional text-based note-taking apps by focusing on voice input. It doesn’t just transcribe – it turns your ramblings (mine are usually pretty incoherent) into well-worded, concise notes.
Useful Features
- Quick Transcription: accurate and quick voice-to-text transcription.
- Summarisation: Turn rambling thoughts into text that actually makes sense.
If you’re anything like me and find it hard to articulate things first-time, you’ll love this.
5. Bloop
Semantic Code Search Integrated with GPT-4.
Bloop is designed to assist in codebase understanding and navigation. It combines GPT-4 with semantic code search to offer a unique approach to exploring complex codebases. While it's not the first tool to offer code search capabilities, its integration with GPT-4 allows for more intuitive query responses.
Useful Features
- Natural Language Queries: Provides code search capabilities using natural language, offering a unique way to find specific pieces of code or functions within a codebase.
- Code Summaries: Generates summaries of complex code segments, assisting in quicker code comprehension and review processes.
- Change Staging: Allows for immediate follow-up actions on codebase after a search query, making it useful for quick changes or updates.
For software engineers dealing with extensive or unfamiliar codebases, Bloop can serve as a valuable supplementary tool. It allows for more streamlined code navigation and provides quick insights into existing patterns and libraries, potentially saving time otherwise spent in manual code review and search. However, it's worth noting that Bloop is not an IDE replacement but rather an additional resource for code exploration.
6. Otter
AI-powered assistant that handles meeting transcriptions and summarizations.
If you find yourself spending too much time on meeting summaries and notes, Otter has got you covered. This tool transcribes and summarizes your meetings, allowing you to focus on more meaningful tasks.
Useful features
- AI Meeting Summarization: Generates concise summaries post-meeting.
- Live Transcript Summaries: Real-time transcriptions to keep track during meetings.
- Automated Slide Capture: Grabs important slides for easy post-meeting review.
Otter is a great AI productivity tool for anyone involved in frequent meetings, either within their team or with external stakeholders. It saves you time by automating the tedious task of meeting documentation.
7. Quillbot
AI-Powered Paraphrasing Tool
Quillbot is designed to help streamline the writing process by providing paraphrasing solutions. Whether you're dealing with writer's block or simply want to improve the phrasing of your text, this tool offers a way to quickly enhance the quality and readability of your writing.
Useful Features
- Synonym Slider: Customise vocabulary changes according to their needs.
- AI-Powered Thesaurus: Automatically suggests synonyms to enrich language usage.
- Browser and Software Integration: Directly integrates into Chrome and Microsoft Word, simplifying the writing process.
If you – like many – spend too long phrasing things nicely, this one’s a nice timesaver that will make sure what you write also actually makes sense.
8. RegexGPT
Simplifies the complex task of writing and understanding Regular Expressions (RegEx).
If you find crafting Regular Expressions to be daunting, RegexGPT is your go-to tool. Just input a string and the expected value, and the tool will generate a RegEx for you, cutting down the time you'd spend doing it manually.
Here’s what the input form looks like:
And the output:
Useful features
- AI-Generated RegEx: Automates the creation of complex Regular Expressions.
- Natural Language Prompts: Facilitates the handling of more intricate queries.
RegexGPT is immensely helpful for software engineers who often require Regular Expressions but find the process tedious. It makes creating and understanding RegEx a breeze, saving you both time and frustration.
That’s it!
Generative AI, driven by the boom in natural language processing and machine learning with ChatGPT at the forefront with its large language models is driving a boom of AI of all kinds.
While there’s a boom in generalist tools from generating images (with tools like Midjourney and Dall-E) and videos to creating content (with tools like Copy.ai), some of the greatest advances solve small, niche problems far better than a sledgehammer tool like ChatGPT can.
Investing in the right AI tools for software engineers can significantly enhance your productivity and the quality of your work. Each of these tools offers unique features that can help you overcome common challenges in software engineering. Give them a try and discover which ones have the most significant impact on your productivity.
We created Stepsize AI to help product developers stay aligned effortlessly, spend less time in meetings and stop wasting time reporting. I’d love to hear what you think!
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