Build Anything with Windsurf AI, Here's How

Windsurf AI is positioned as a new way to build software with multiple AI agents working alongside a developer in real time—most notably through “Flows,” which combine agent-driven automation with Copilot-style assistance. The pitch is that this workflow reduces the back-and-forth typical of coding assistants: instead of generating code in one big burst, Windsurf tracks what a human changes, updates the shared project state, and continues the next steps with approvals at each stage. That “same state at all times” approach is framed as a glimpse of how work may look over the next five years, where humans and AI agents fill gaps for each other rather than expecting fully autonomous coding.

The comparison with Cursor centers on what Windsurf adds: Flows. Cursor is described as a strong coding environment, but Windsurf’s Flows are presented as more than chat—AI agents can act independently while still collaborating with the user. The creator argues that humans remain more capable than current AI agents at self-directed problem solving: looking up documentation, consulting experts, trying alternatives, and learning from failures without needing constant prompting. That human agency is offered as the reason to avoid letting AI run unchecked.

Three practical dangers are emphasized for anyone using AI coding tools. First is overreliance—trusting the assistant too much, skipping code review, and moving forward without verifying changes. Second is rushing—especially on large projects—because speed without understanding file structure, packaging decisions, and proposed diffs tends to backfire. Third is refusing to learn: even with tools like Claude, Cursor, and Windsurf, users are urged to understand the underlying code and terminal basics so they can evaluate what the AI proposes.

Feature-wise, Windsurf is broken into two headline capabilities. “Cascade” is described as “chat 2.0,” with full contextual awareness across large codebases using embeddings and proprietary methods. It can also suggest and run terminal commands with user approval, and it can pick up where work left off via automatic reasoning of explicit actions. Cascade supports multi-file editing—handling imports and related changes across the project—so developers don’t have to manually trace breakages.

“Flows” is then demonstrated as the core differentiator. A simple one-sentence prompt plus an uploaded sketch generates a multi-file web app (index.html, style.css, script.js) from the user’s reference. The workflow includes accepting or rejecting changes, starting a local server, and then iterating: the user tweaks CSS values, asks to “continue where I left off,” and receives follow-on edits that improve layout and chart behavior. The example ends with a working interactive-ish dashboard that evolves through successive prompts rather than a single static generation.

Finally, the transcript stresses pricing and onboarding. The paid plan is presented as $15 per month (with Cursor at $20), and the free plan is claimed to be stronger than Cursor’s. Setup includes importing settings from Cursor (since Windsurf is built on VS Code) and selecting models—Claude 3.5 Sonnet is described as the best option available on the $15 plan. The overall takeaway: AI acceleration is happening quickly (with recent agent releases cited), and developers who start now—while still reviewing and learning—can gain an advantage.