Microsoft’s AI Toolkit for VS Code - This FREE Extension BEATS CURSOR! (w/ FREE GPT-4O!)
AI Summary
Video Summary
- Microsoft has been actively updating their tools, adding features like multi-file edits and cloud integration to VS Code, making it a strong AI-powered editor.
- GitHub launched GitHub Copilot models in public preview, providing access to GPT-4 with some rate limits, all accessible via an API.
- Microsoft released an upgraded extension called the V Code AI Toolkit, which allows users to:
- Open a chat interface inside VS Code.
- Configure providers, API keys, and local models.
- Natively support GitHub models, allowing free use with a GitHub account.
- Run models locally with a simple button click.
- Fine-tune models.
- Installation instructions:
- Update VS Code to the latest version.
- Go to the Extensions tab and search for “AI Toolkit for Visual Studio Code” to find and install the Microsoft extension.
- Features of the AI Toolkit:
- Model sidebar to manage local or remote models.
- Catalog option to browse and use models from various providers.
- Playground option for experimentation.
- Providers and models:
- Claude models require an API key from Anthropic.
- Gemini models can be added with a free API key.
- GitHub models like GPT-4 and GPT-4 mini are available.
- Local models like the 53.5 Mini model can be downloaded and installed seamlessly.
- The extension lacks a one-click copy option for generated code, requiring manual copying and pasting.
- Custom OpenAI compatible APIs can be added and configured.
- The toolkit integrates well with VS Code, allowing users to work with AI models without leaving the editor.
- Microsoft’s efforts are seen as competitive against Cursor, with the advantage of having developed the editor themselves.
Detailed Instructions and Tips
- No specific CLI commands, website URLs, or detailed tips were provided in the transcript.