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AI-Assisted Development

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AI tooling has shifted from smart autocomplete to full agentic workflows. This section covers how the Aliz web team uses these tools effectively — from writing better prompts to orchestrating multiple AI agents on complex tasks.

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This space is moving fast. Tool names, features, and best practices in this section reflect the state of the ecosystem in mid-2026. Treat specific feature details as a starting point and verify against the official docs for the tool you're using.

What Does "AI-Assisted" Mean?​

The term covers a wide spectrum:

Autocomplete → Chat → Agents → Multi-agent pipelines

At one end, AI suggests the next line of code. At the other, a network of autonomous agents can plan, implement, test, and document an entire feature with minimal human input.

The important distinction for the Aliz team is between:

  • AI-assisted development — the developer drives. AI accelerates specific tasks: writing boilerplate, explaining code, suggesting fixes. Every output is reviewed before it lands.
  • Vibe coding — the AI drives. The developer describes intent in natural language and largely accepts the output. Useful for prototypes; not appropriate for production. See Vibe Coding.

In both cases, you remain accountable for every line of code that ships.

The Tool Landscape​

IDE Assistants​

  • GitHub Copilot — Microsoft's AI coding assistant for VS Code and JetBrains. Inline completions, chat, multi-file edits, and agent mode. The current team default.
  • Cursor — AI-first IDE built on VS Code. Deep codebase awareness via semantic search; agent mode for multi-file edits.
  • Windsurf — Another AI IDE worth knowing; similar positioning to Cursor.

Chat & Reasoning Models​

  • Claude (Anthropic) — Strong long-context reasoning, code review, and architectural discussion. Also the backbone of Claude Code.
  • ChatGPT (OpenAI) — Versatile; wide plugin and API ecosystem.
  • Gemini (Google) — Large context window; well-integrated with Google Cloud and Workspace.

These models are valuable as a thinking partner, not just a code generator. Ask them to critique a design decision or explain a trade-off.

Coding Agents​

  • ⭐ Copilot Agent Mode — Recommended default. Built into VS Code Copilot Chat. Can read/write workspace files and run terminal commands, with human approval at each step. The lowest-friction starting point for the team.
  • ⭐ Claude Code — Recommended for complex tasks. Anthropic's CLI-based agent, also available in VS Code, JetBrains, desktop, and web. Operates on the full repository with strong multi-step reasoning; best for large cross-file refactors, documentation, and long-horizon tasks. See AI Coding Agents.
  • Other options include Cline (open-source VS Code extension, bring-your-own-key) and Cursor's agent — worth knowing, but not the team default.

Personal Agents​

  • OpenClaw — a self-hosted, open-source (MIT) personal AI agent written in TypeScript. It runs as a long-lived gateway on your own machine, connects to messaging apps, and works with any model provider. It is not a coding agent or a multi-agent framework. Treat it with care: it can run shell commands and install third-party skills, so limit its permissions — see Agent Security.

Frameworks & Orchestration​

  • For building custom agent pipelines, see Multi-Agent Orchestration for framework comparisons — including the Copilot SDK and Claude Agent SDK for TypeScript teams.

Rapid Prototyping Tools​

bolt.new, V0, and lovable.dev are purpose-built for fast, AI-driven prototyping — full apps from a text description, no local setup. V0 has since grown into a full-stack IDE with git, terminal, and MCP integrations. See Vibe Coding.

What's in This Section​

  • AI Coding Guidelines — Team-wide rules for using AI tools responsibly: review practices, security hygiene, and when to be careful.
  • Prompt Engineering for Code — Writing effective prompts, workspace instruction files, and tool-specific techniques for Copilot and Cursor.
  • Copilot Customization Files — Scoped instruction files, prompt templates, custom agents, and agent skills: the file-based system for shaping Copilot behavior at the repo level.
  • Claude Code Customization — CLAUDE.md, skills, subagents, hooks, and permission settings: the equivalent system for Claude Code.
  • Vibe Coding — What it is, which tools enable it, and when it's appropriate vs. when it isn't.
  • AI Coding Agents — How agents work, our recommended agents (Copilot Agent Mode and Claude Code), and practical tips for agent-driven tasks.
  • Multi-Agent Orchestration — Patterns and frameworks for coordinating multiple agents on complex tasks.
  • MCP Servers — Model Context Protocol: what it is, the most useful reference servers, and how to configure it in VS Code and Cursor.
  • Token Consumption Optimization — Practical strategies to reduce token usage and AI tool costs, ordered by impact.
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New to AI tooling on the team? Start with Guidelines, then Prompt Engineering.

Further Reading​