Google Introduces Gemini CLI to Bring AI to Your Coding Workflow
Google has unveiled Gemini CLI, a brand-new, open-source command-line utility that utilizes its Gemini 1.5 Pro concept. This developer-friendly agentic AI tool allows for smooth code generation, debugging, content creation, and task automation through the use of natural language instructions.
One of Google’s initiatives to encourage developers to include its AI models into their coding processes is the Gemini CLI. Google currently provides a variety of AI coding tools, including Jules, its asynchronous AI coding helper, and Gemini Code Assist. Nevertheless, Gemini CLI has direct competition from other command-line AI tools like Anthropic’s Claude Code and OpenAI’s Codex CLI, which are typically quicker, easier to integrate, and more effective than other AI coding tools.
Gemini CLI is a component of Google’s initiative to encourage developers to include its AI models into their coding processes. A variety of AI coding tools are now available from Google, including Jules, its asynchronous AI coding helper, and Gemini Code Assist. However, other command-line AI tools like Anthropic’s Claude Code and OpenAI’s Codex CLI, which are typically quicker, easier to integrate, and more effective than other AI coding tools, are direct competitors of Gemini CLI.
Gemini CLI is mostly used for coding, but the company claims that it was also built to handle other activities. Gemini CLI allows developers to use Google’s Veo 3 model to make films, its Deep Research agent to write research reports, and Google Search to retrieve up-to-date information. Additionally, according to Google, developers can access external databases by connecting to MCP servers using the Gemini CLI.
Google is also making Gemini CLI open source under the Apache 2.0 license, which is generally regarded as one of the most permissive, in order to promote adoption.
Gemini CLl allows developers to perform complicated tasks, such as developing code, resolving issues, managing files, and conducting AI-powered research, by issuing simple text commands. Google asserts that by executing multi-step Gemini agents automatically, the tool may also automate workflows. According to the tech giant, the application has the same agentic capabilities as Gemini Code Assist for VS Code.
Gemini CLI also enables custom prompts, plugins, and utilities. It can create video and image content using Veo and Imagen, and it has Google Search built in. As part of its larger plan to make AI tools available to developers, Google has positioned Gemini CLI.
