AI Tools
All five tools listed below read and write files directly on your local filesystem. The prompts are identical across all tools — only the interface where you type them differs.
Desktop Apps (GUI-based)
No terminal needed. Install the app, point it at a project folder, and start asking questions about your files.
| Tool | Interface | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Cowork | Tab inside Claude Desktop app | macOS (Apple Silicon) / Windows |
| Codex App | Standalone desktop app from OpenAI | macOS (Apple Silicon) / Windows |
Desktop AI Tools — install and setup
CLI Tools (terminal-based)
Open a terminal in your project folder, launch the tool, and type your prompts in the text interface.
| Tool | Command | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | claude |
Anthropic CLI |
| Codex CLI | codex |
OpenAI CLI, open source, free |
| Gemini CLI | gemini |
Google CLI |
Command Line AI Tools — install and setup
How to use any of these tools
- Point your AI tool at your project folder — the folder containing your data and scripts. For CLI tools, open a terminal in that folder and launch the tool. For desktop apps, use the folder picker to grant access to that specific folder.
- Type or paste your prompt. All five tools work the same way — you describe the task, the AI reads your files, does the work, and writes results back to disk.
- Watch and review. The AI runs commands, creates files, and executes scripts for you. You review the results.
The prompts are identical across all tools. They are shown once per exercise in the workshop handouts. Paste them into whichever tool you are using.