
AI tools for software development
The landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and software development is undergoing a transformative shift. Organizations and educators are creating innovative tools and learning experiences to make AI more accessible and productive for developers worldwide, especially regarding AI tools for developers, particularly in fast.ai education, including nbdev productivity applications.
This post explores two revolutionary initiatives: fast.ai’s new AI-first educational approach and the development of nbdev in collaboration with Quarto, both designed to enhance productivity and democratize access to AI and coding.
fast.ai AI tools for developers
Eight years ago, fast.ai embarked on a mission to make AI accessible to everyone. Founders Rachel Thomas and Jeremy Howard believed in AI’s potential to empower individuals globally, provided it wasn’t restricted to a select few.
Fast forward to today, fast.ai is taking a significant step by joining Answer in the context of AI tools for developers in the context of fast, especially regarding nbdev productivity in the context of fast.ai education.ai education. AI, aiming to further democratize AI through new educational paradigms. A prime example is their new course, “How To Solve It With Code, ” which introduces a unique AI-first learning experience.
According to the founders, the course is designed to utilize AI in a deeply integrated manner for learning, elevating both human and AI capabilities through a process they call Dialog Engineering. This approach allows participants to collaborate with AI in small, iterative steps, enhancing the learning and development experience, especially regarding AI tools for developers, particularly in fast, particularly in nbdev productivity, especially regarding fast.ai education.ai education.
Instead of generating complex code in one go, developers write a few lines, receive AI suggestions, and create a feedback loop that refines both human understanding and AI performance. This methodology not only produces cleaner and more powerful code but also makes the development process more engaging and sustainable.

Solveit AI tools for dialog engineering
To support this innovative educational approach, fast.ai has introduced Solveit, a platform tailored for Dialog Engineering. By embedding AI deeply into the development workflow, Solveit has already shown impressive results at Answer, especially regarding AI tools for developers in the context of fast.ai education, particularly in nbdev productivity.
AI, contributing to significant breakthroughs with a small team. This isn’t just theoretical; these techniques are actively used to develop Answer. AI itself, demonstrating the practical application and effectiveness of Dialog Engineering in real-world scenarios.
The upcoming course, starting on November 26th, is crafted for those who have dabbled in AI coding and seek to go beyond basic prompts, focusing on creating a synergistic partnership between human creativity and AI capabilities.
Nbdev Quarto productivity tools
In parallel, fast.ai has teamed up with Quarto to enhance nbdev, a tool that has significantly increased productivity for Python programmers. Nbdev turns Jupyter notebooks into a powerful tool for writing, distributing, and documenting software, especially regarding AI tools for developers in the context of fast.ai education, particularly in nbdev productivity, including AI tools for developers applications, especially regarding fast, including nbdev productivity applications.ai education.
This integration of nbdev with Quarto enables developers to write high-quality Python packages with comprehensive documentation and testing, all within a single notebook. The productivity gains are substantial—nbdev has reportedly increased productivity by over 300% by streamlining the software development process. Quarto, a robust technical publishing system, complements nbdev by enabling the creation and distribution of technical content across various formats like HTML, PDF, and slides.
This partnership enhances the usability and flexibility of nbdev, allowing developers to produce not just code but also rich, dynamic documentation that evolves with their projects.

Nbdev Quarto developer documentation
Nbdev and Quarto are not merely theoretical tools; they have been applied successfully across industries. Companies like Netflix, Lyft, and Outerbounds have adopted nbdev for internal documentation and production use.
The feedback highlights nbdev’s ability to transform cumbersome documentation processes into seamless, integrated workflows that enhance both the quality and maintainability of software projects, especially regarding AI tools for developers, particularly in fast, particularly in nbdev productivity, particularly in fast.ai education.ai education. For instance, Netflix has found that nbdev allows for comprehensive prose and code integration, making documentation a natural extension of their existing workflows. Lyft has streamlined their processes by consolidating code, documentation, and testing in one place, eliminating the friction often associated with traditional software development.
AI tools for collaborative coding
As we look to the future, the integration of AI in coding and the development of tools like nbdev and Quarto signify a shift towards more collaborative and efficient programming paradigms. The emphasis is on creating partnerships between human developers and AI, where each complements the other’s strengths.
This collaborative approach not only accelerates the development process but also ensures the creation of robust, maintainable solutions in the context of AI tools for developers, including fast, especially regarding nbdev productivity, particularly in fast.ai education.ai education applications. The advancements in AI education and productivity tools highlight the potential for AI to empower developers, democratize technology access, and drive innovation across industries. By embracing these tools and methodologies, developers can unlock new levels of creativity and efficiency, shaping the future of software development in ways that were previously unimaginable.