As an AI engineer, you regularly research, analyze, design, and program software that works with AI systems while also collaborating and communicating with your team. COVID-19 created a cultural shift in most companies from working in-office to primarily at home. The shift from a traditional office setting to remote and hybrid working models means that AI engineers now require a specific set of remote apps and tools to imitate different aspects of the in-person office environment. Fortunately, the pandemic saw the rise of several fantastic applications and tools for remote workers and freelancers.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) semiannual AI projection report, the AI industry will hit the $500 Billion mark by 2023. The report also suggested that companies will increase spending on AI solutions by 19.6% in 2022 alone, leading to countless job opportunities for AI professionals worldwide. Working remotely from home in a distributed team is the new normal for the AI industry.
So, what are the must-have tools for AI engineers to use daily? Get to know how professionals ace the remote working ecosystem:
1. Task Management Software
Task management tools help you plan, track and monitor your tasks effectively. You can find Task management tools and applications for individuals, teams, and organizations. From making basic spreadsheets to maintaining progress across several teams, these tools make the remote work model significantly more sustainable. Here are some of the widely used project management tools for remote AI engineers:
Trello
Trello is a Kanban-style web-based task management application that helps users to visualize their work in an interactive format. IT has over 4.75 million users as of July 2022. It allows engineering teams to be agile and simplify the project life-cycle.
| Pros | Limitations |
| Simple pricing structure | Not suitable for big projects |
| Uses the much-praised Kanban System | While inexpensive, it misses some agile features |
| Mobile-friendly | Has a storage limit |
| Instant notifications |
Jira
Jira is one of the most hyped and admired project management tools in the development sector. It is known for its fantastic bug-tracking and agile project management features. Over 65,000 companies globally adopted Jira as their go-to project management software.
| Pros | Limitations |
| Jira automation is beloved in the engineering community | Lacks communication tools |
| Uses Kanban and Scrum systems to support agile teams | Various suites of products can be confusing |
| Reports, insights, and integrations | Lacks features outside development |
Notion
Notion is an innovative project management software popular for its advanced note-taking features. It helps AI engineers coordinate deadlines, objectives, and tasks while assuring efficiency and productivity. Notion currently has over 4 million users.
| Pros | Limitations |
| Powerful wiki and simple drag-and-drop UI | Can be complex and take time to set up |
| Provides high accessibility, visibility, and real-time task updates | Search and navigation functions could be improved |
| Provides versatile content management |
2. Communication Applications
Communication is key to any organization and even more important for remote or hybrid teams. Remote AI engineers can stay connected and updated with their teams using one of these widely used applications.
Workplace
Workplace is an online collaboration software by Meta platforms with features like Workplace chat, online group work, news sharing, and video conferencing. It might be the most feature-filled application we’ve listed in this segment. More than 7 million users from over 32,000 organizations worldwide use Workplace regularly.
| Pros | Limitations |
| Creates an overall work environment alongside communication | Can experience glitches |
| Fit for both small and large teams | Has UI similar to Facebook |
| Great for community activities even while working remotely |
Slack
Slack is a popular messaging platform designed to be used in professional environments. It is available across all platforms and has over 10 million active users. Remote AI engineers can find a suitable channel for communicating with other developers and updating changes through Slack.
| Pros | Limitations |
| Compact theme with great chatroom UI | Can be hard to keep organization within larger teams |
| Fast and secure for sharing large files and documents | Can have addictive properties similar to social media platforms |
Zoom
Zoom is one of the most popular video conferencing apps of the last few years. Almost 300 million users use Zoom regularly for meetings, webinars, and conferences. Zoom can be a conducive platform for remote AI engineers with constant communication needs.
| Pros | Limitations |
| Supports large teams and is scalable | Lack of security & comment control |
| Can stream and record your sessions | Doesn’t support high-quality conferencing (over HD) |
| Free to Download and extremely easy to use |
3. Collaboration & Code Sharing Platforms
Remote programming is not possible without the reliable collaboration and code-sharing platforms. For remote AI engineers, these tools allow them to work with fellow engineers in distributed teams effectively. Here are some of the most popular platforms for collaboration and code sharing.
GitHub
GitHub is home to over 83 million developers worldwide. It is the most popular software development and version control platform using Git. It allows remote AI engineers to work together on projects from anywhere in the world.
| Pros | Limitations |
| Amazing documentation | Security issues |
| Unique features like Gists and GitHub Pages | Paid features can be costly |
| Excellent collaboration and backup features |
GitLab
GitLab is an open-core company and the primary alternative to GitHub. Recently, it has gained popularity with features like unlimited private repositories. More than 1 million active developers use GitLab for collaboration and code sharing.
| Pros | Limitations |
| Better fee plans in comparison to GitHub | Slightly slower interface |
| Very well integrated into Git | Sometimes experiences issues with repositories |
| Allows self-hosting |
Bottom Line
Working as a remote AI engineer can be challenging without the proper tools. But with the right set of platforms, alongside a good working environment, you can make your job significantly easier. With these tools, you can stay organized and work more efficiently from home.
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