Google Enters AI Coding

Google has launched Gemini Code Assist, an AI-powered coding assistant, to compete with similar offerings from OpenAI and Anthropic. Gemini Code Assist aims to streamline the software development lifecycle by providing contextualised code completions, generating functions from comments, creating unit tests, and aiding in debugging.

Available in various editions, including a free version for individuals and Standard and Enterprise options for businesses, Gemini Code Assist offers features like code customisation using private codebases and integration with Google Cloud services. The tool supports multiple IDEs such as VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, and Android Studio, and is powered by the Gemini 2.5 model, enhancing coding performance and assisting in tasks like web app creation and code transformation.

Experiments have shown that developers using Gemini Code Assist experience a significant boost in completing development tasks. The tool offers smart actions directly within the code editor, such as generating unit tests and simplifying code, and includes code transformation commands for fixing issues, generating documentation, and simplifying code. Gemini Code Assist is designed to improve developer efficiency and collaboration across various skill levels.