Google Launches Gemini Code Assist
Google has launched Gemini Code Assist, a free tool for developers that provides coding assistance. It includes 180,000 completions per month and 240 daily chats, surpassing GitHub Copilot. Code Assist for GitHub automatically scans pull requests for bugs.
On Tuesday, Google introduced a new free version of its code completion and assistance tool, called Gemini Code Assist for individuals. This tool allows developers to interact with an AI model using a chat window to access and edit their code. Similar to GitHub's Copilot, Gemini Code Assist can fix bugs, complete code sections, or explain unclear parts of the code. The AI model powering Code Assist is a variant of Gemini 2.0, optimized for coding applications. It integrates with popular coding environments like VS Code and JetBrains, supporting many programming languages.
Code Assist for individuals offers 180,000 code completions per month, far exceeding the usage cap of GitHub Copilot's free plan, which is 2,000 completions monthly. Additionally, users can make 240 chat requests daily, nearly five times more than GitHub's free plan allows. The model used in Code Assist features a 128,000-token context window, which is much larger than competing models, enabling it to handle complex code more efficiently in a single prompt. Developers can sign up for the free public preview of Gemini Code Assist starting Tuesday.
As for Gemini Code Assist for GitHub, it automatically scans pull requests for bugs and provides helpful recommendations. These tools have been launched as Google intensifies its efforts to compete with Microsoft and GitHub in the developer tools space. Seven months ago, Google hired Ryan Salva, the former leader of the GitHub Copilot team, to lead its developer tooling work. By offering a free AI coding assistant with high usage limits, Google hopes to attract early-career developers to Code Assist, with the expectation that some may eventually upgrade to an enterprise plan, which is where Google will generate revenue. Over the past year, Google has been selling Gemini Code Assist to businesses and announced that it would soon integrate the tool with third-party tools like GitLab and Google Docs. The enterprise tiers of Code Assist include additional features such as audit logs and integrations with other Google Cloud products, as well as customizations for private repositories.
