This is the master AI hub. It covers AI coding assistants you run inside your IDE (Claude Code, Copilot, Cursor, Windsurf, Gemini CLI), local open-weight models (Gemma 4, DeepSeek), RAG and agent architecture, MCP servers, AI video generation with Seedance 2.0, and the AI workflows that overlap with Excel and Flutter — those are also linked from the Excel hub and Flutter hub respectively.
Who This Guide Is For
If you are new to AI tools and trying to figure out which one to start with, read the frontier model comparison first, then pick a coding assistant from the AI Coding Tools section. If you are a developer building AI apps, jump to the Building AI Apps section — it covers the production patterns that matter (tool calling, evaluation, caching, structured outputs). If you are a creator or marketer looking at AI video, head to the Seedance section. If you are privacy-sensitive or cost-conscious, the Local and Open Models section covers Gemma 4 setup and when free local models beat paid APIs.
How to Navigate This Guide
The hub is organised into eight sections. AI Coding Tools covers the IDE assistants — Claude Code, Copilot, Cursor, Windsurf, Gemini CLI — across VS Code and Android Studio. Local and Open Models covers Gemma 4 setup and local-first AI workflows. Frontier Model Comparisons ranks ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and the open vs API decision. Building AI Apps and Agents covers RAG, tool calling, evaluation, cost control, and production patterns. MCP (Model Context Protocol) covers servers, agents, and remote architecture. AI Video Generation (Seedance 2.0) covers the full Seedance toolchain — setup, prompts, settings, use cases, and comparisons against Sora, Kling, and Veo. AI for Excel cross-lists the AI workflows that target Excel specifically (also on the Excel hub). AI for Flutter cross-lists the AI workflows that target Flutter specifically (also on the Flutter hub).
Key takeaways
- Pick your AI coding tool by where you work: Claude Code or Copilot in VS Code, Gemini Code Assist or Claude Code in Android Studio.
- Local Gemma 4 is genuinely usable for everyday coding and analysis — the trade-off is hardware setup, not output quality.
- RAG quality depends more on chunking strategy and reranking than on which model you use.
- MCP is the protocol layer that lets one AI assistant talk to many tools and data sources — worth learning if you build AI apps.
- Seedance 2.0 weights the first 15 words of your prompt heavily — subject, motion, camera direction must come first.
- For Excel and Flutter AI workflows, see the dedicated cross-links in the last two sections — they are also indexed on those respective hubs.
AI Coding Tools (VS Code and Android Studio)
- Claude Code in VS Code: Setup, Workflows, and Best Practices
Claude Code as a daily-driver inside VS Code.
- Claude Code in Android Studio for Flutter and Dart Workflows
Claude Code wired into the Android Studio IDE.
- Gemma 4 in VS Code: Free Local AI Coding Assistant Setup
Open-weight Gemma 4 as a local coding assistant.
- Gemini CLI in VS Code: Setup, Commands, and Workflows
Google's Gemini CLI inside VS Code.
- Gemini CLI in Android Studio for Flutter Development
Gemini CLI for Flutter projects in Android Studio.
- Gemini Code Assist in Android Studio: Setup and Workflows
Gemini Code Assist setup and daily use.
- DeepSeek in VS Code: Free Open-Weight Coding Assistant
DeepSeek as a VS Code coding assistant.
- OpenCode in VS Code: Open-Source AI Coding Setup
Self-hosted open-source coding assistant.
- GitHub Copilot Agent Mode in VS Code
What Copilot's agent mode does and when to use it.
- GitHub Copilot Agentic GA 2026: What Changed and What to Use
The 2026 GA shift in Copilot's agent capabilities.
- Windsurf for Flutter Development
Windsurf IDE for Flutter projects.
- Cursor for Flutter Development
Cursor's Flutter-specific workflows.
- Claude for Design: Prompt Patterns for UI, UX, and Visual Work
Using Claude for design tasks beyond code.
Local and Open Models (Gemma 4)
- How to Run Gemma 4 Locally: Setup, Hardware, and Performance
End-to-end local Gemma 4 setup.
- Gemma 4 Local AI Workflows
Practical daily-use patterns for local Gemma.
- Gemma 4 vs ChatGPT vs Claude
Free local Gemma vs paid frontier models.
- Gemma 4 vs Gemini
Open-weight Gemma vs hosted Google AI.
- Gemma 4 vs Paid AI Models
When free local AI beats paid APIs.
- Gemma 4 in Android Studio with Ollama
Local Gemma for mobile dev workflows.
- Local AI for Your Own Files
Privacy-first document workflows with local AI.
Frontier Model Comparisons
- ChatGPT 5.5 vs Claude Opus 4.7 vs Gemini 3.1 Pro
Frontier model comparison across reasoning, coding, and writing.
- How to Choose Between Open Models and API Models
Cost, latency, and control trade-offs explained.
Building AI Apps and Agents
- Build an AI Agent With File Search and Tool Use
End-to-end agent build with retrieval and tools.
- Build a RAG App on Your Own Documents
RAG from scratch step by step.
- How to Chunk Documents for RAG
Chunking strategies that actually work in production.
- How to Improve RAG With Reranking
Reranking for retrieval quality wins.
- Cut AI API Costs With Caching and Smart Model Routing
Production cost-control patterns.
- How to Evaluate AI Outputs in Real Apps
Eval frameworks for production AI.
- Reasoning Summaries in Production AI
When and how to surface reasoning to users.
- Reduce Hallucinations With Tool Use
Grounding AI outputs with tool calls.
- Structured JSON Outputs From LLMs
Schemas, validation, and recovery patterns.
- How to Test AI Prompts Before Shipping
Pre-deployment prompt testing workflows.
- Tool Calling in AI Apps
Patterns that make agents reliable.
- Background Jobs in AI Apps
Queues, streaming, and long-running tasks.
MCP (Model Context Protocol)
- MCP for ChatGPT Tools
Connect data sources to ChatGPT via MCP.
- MCP Servers for AI Agents
Build, deploy, and connect MCP servers.
- Remote MCP Servers in AI Apps
Architecture and deployment for remote MCP.
AI Video Generation (Seedance 2.0)
- Seedance 2.0 Tutorial: The Complete Beginner's Guide
End-to-end first-time user walkthrough.
- How to Set Up Seedance 2.0
Account creation, access, and first generation.
- Seedance 2.0 Pricing, Credits, and Free Tier Explained
Credit economics and free-tier limits.
- How to Use Seedance 2.0 in Dreamina Step by Step
Dreamina interface walkthrough.
- Seedance 2.0 Resolution, Aspect Ratio, and Export Settings
Resolution and export format selection.
- Seedance 2.0 Motion Intensity Settings 0–100 Explained
Motion intensity across the full slider.
- How to Write Better Prompts for Seedance 2.0
Prompt structure and keyword strategies.
- Seedance 2.0 Cinematic Camera Movement Prompts
Camera movement prompt patterns.
- Seedance 2.0 With Audio Prompts
Audio-driven video generation.
- Seedance 2.0 Image to Video Prompts
Image-to-video workflow.
- Seedance 2.0 for AI Marketing Videos
Marketing-specific video generation patterns.
- Seedance 2.0 for YouTube Shorts Creation
Vertical short-form video workflow.
- Seedance 2.0 for Product Ad Videos
Product advertising video patterns.
- Seedance 2.0 for Anime Style Video Generation
Anime aesthetic prompts and style control.
- Lip-Sync and Talking-Head Videos in Seedance 2.0
Lip-sync and talking-head workflow.
- Consistent Characters in Seedance 2.0
Character consistency across multiple clips.
- How to Fix Bad Motion in Seedance 2.0 Videos
Motion artefact debugging.
- Seedance 2.0 vs Sora 2 for Prompt Control
Prompt adherence head-to-head.
- Seedance 2.0 vs Kling for Realistic Motion
Motion realism comparison.
- Seedance 2.0 vs Veo 3 for Short AI Videos
Short-form video comparison.
AI for Excel (also on the Excel hub)
- 7 Best AI Tools for Excel in 2026 (Tested and Ranked)
Head-to-head ranking of ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and Gemma 4.
- ChatGPT vs Claude vs Copilot vs Gemini for Excel in 2026
Direct comparison on formulas, macros, data analysis, and error fixing.
- 60 AI Prompts for Excel That Actually Work
Copy-paste prompt library grouped by task type.
- How to Review AI-Generated Excel Formulas
Verification workflow that prevents silent errors.
- How to Use ChatGPT to Write Excel Formulas
ChatGPT's Excel formula generation patterns.
- How to Use Claude AI to Write Excel Formulas Instantly
Claude's Excel formula workflow end to end.
- How to Use Claude AI to Write Excel Macros and VBA Code
Generating production-ready VBA from plain English.
- How to Fix Excel Formula Errors with Claude AI
Debugging #REF, #VALUE, #NAME, #SPILL with Claude.
- Claude Agent Mode in Excel
When Claude's agent mode outperforms direct prompting.
- How to Set Up and Use Microsoft Copilot in Excel
First-time setup, licensing, and what to try on day one.
- Agent Mode in Excel: What It Does and Who Should Use It
Honest scope assessment for Copilot Agent Mode.
- Analyst vs Agent Mode vs Copilot Chat
Choosing the right Copilot mode for the task.
- COPILOT Function in Excel: Syntax, Use Cases, Limits
The new native COPILOT() function explained.
- Automate Excel Tasks with Microsoft Copilot
Task automation patterns inside Copilot.
- Microsoft Copilot for Data Analysis in Excel
Building reports and insights with Copilot.
- Copilot in Excel With Python
Combining Copilot with Python for forecasting.
- Format Data for Copilot in Excel
Data shapes Copilot handles well vs badly.
- Create Charts With Copilot in Excel
Copilot chart generation and its blind spots.
- Create Lookups With Copilot in Excel
Copilot's lookup formula strengths and weaknesses.
- Generate Formula Columns With Copilot
Bulk formula generation patterns.
- Generate Single-Cell Formulas With Copilot
Single-cell Copilot prompts that work reliably.
- How to Use Google Gemini to Write Excel Formulas for Free
Free Gemini workflow for spreadsheet formulas.
- Gemma 4 for Data Analysis in Excel
Open-weight Gemma 4 tested on real analysis tasks.
- Gemma 4 vs GPT-4o vs Llama 4 for Excel Formulas
Free model comparison for Excel use cases.
- Excel + AI for Accountants
Accounting-specific AI workflows inside Excel.
- Excel + AI for HR Teams
HR-specific AI workflows.
- Excel + AI for Sales Ops
Sales operations AI automation.
- Build a Forecasting Model in Excel With AI Assistance
End-to-end AI-assisted forecasting.
- Use AI to Write and Fix Power Query M Code
AI-assisted M-code generation.
- Text Analysis in Excel With AI
Sentiment and theme extraction from unstructured text.
AI for Flutter (also on the Flutter hub)
- Create With AI in Flutter: Gemini CLI, MCP, and the AI Toolkit
The AI-assisted Flutter development stack.
- Claude Code in Android Studio for Flutter
Claude Code for Flutter projects.
- Gemini CLI in Android Studio for Flutter
Gemini CLI workflows for Flutter.
- Gemini Code Assist in Android Studio
Gemini Code Assist for mobile dev.
- Gemma 4 in Android Studio with Ollama
Local Gemma for Flutter/Android workflows.
- Windsurf for Flutter Development
Windsurf IDE for Flutter projects.
- Cursor for Flutter Development
Cursor's Flutter-specific workflows.