Google has made its AI-powered coding agent Jules available to the public in beta, allowing developers worldwide to experiment with the asynchronous coding assistant. Announced days after Microsoft and OpenAI announced their AI coding agents Github Copilot and Codex, at Google I/O 2025, the Jules lets users continue working on other tasks while Jules handles coding problems in the background.Jules integrates directly with existing projects and repositories, cloning codebases to a secure Google Cloud virtual machine where it can work alongside developers. The AI agent can build features, provide audio changelogs, update dependency versions, write tests, and fix bugs independently.“Jules handles bug fixes and other time-consuming tasks while you focus on what you actually want to build,” Google stated when first introducing the tool in December 2024. The agent has already generated substantial attention in the developer community, with many comparing it favorably to OpenAI’s Codex and Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot.The AI coding assistant’s key advantage is its asynchronous workflow, which differentiates it from competitors that primarily function as intelligent autocomplete tools. While using Jules, developers can assign coding tasks and return later to review completed work rather than watching the AI generate code in real-time.Google emphasizes that Jules maintains privacy when working with private repositories and doesn’t train on private code. The tool operates directly within the Gemini app, eliminating the need for additional software.During the public beta period, Jules will be accessible to anyone with Gemini access wherever the service is available. While Google hasn’t announced pricing details for the eventual full release, the company indicated that cost information will be provided as the platform matures.The release comes amid increasing competition in the AI coding assistant space, with Microsoft recently enhancing GitHub Copilot and OpenAI launching new coding capabilities. For developers interested in trying Jules, the beta is available now, though usage limits apply.
