Google suddenly launches a major move, entering the AI programming agent space, directly challenging OpenAI Codex!
Just now, Google quietly moved a programming agent named Jules from private preview to global beta. Now, any developer with a Google account can let AI help them submit code!
This is Google's most direct challenge yet to Cursor, Devin, GitHub Copilot, and OpenAI Codex (including the newly acquired Windsurf)!
Even better, it offers 5 free tasks per day, which is practically aimed at killing the competition!
What exactly is Jules?
Unlike traditional code completion tools, Jules will create a temporary virtual machine in the cloud, clone the target repository, and devise a multi-step plan before modifying any files.
What can it do?
Connect to GitHub and open PRs
Run or write tests
Verify code in a cloud VM
Share plans, reasoning, and code differences
Simply put, it can help you solve those coding tasks you don't want to do: fixing bugs, updating versions, writing tests, and even implementing new features!
Technical Details
Google states that Jules can "understand your codebase" because it runs on the latest multimodal Gemini 2.5 Pro model, which allows it to reason over large file graphs and project history while adhering to specific repository contribution guidelines.
It sounds impressive, but is it really easy to use?
@AndrewVoirol says:
Awesome, you'll be impressed.
And @DataChaz believes Jules is more user-friendly than OpenAI's Codex:
Looks more user-friendly than @OpenAI's Codex.
But some hold a different opinion, @_devnull__ directly complains:
Haha, how is this more friendly than codex? I'm clearly biased, but honestly the UI looks awful! Like it was coded by feel by a non-technical product manager.
Global Beta and Pricing
The new beta has removed the waiting list. Anyone can authenticate at jules.google, use a GitHub account, and start assigning tasks directly from issues by simply using the upcoming "assign-to-jules" tag.
Google is driving adoption with a quota of five free tasks per calendar day; additional usage and enterprise control features are expected "later this year".
This strategy really learned the essence of the price wars fought by major domestic companies!
What?
You're still comparing prices, I'm going free!
@bythewayimchris is optimistic:
Honestly I don't know if OpenAI can compete with literally infinite compute power, and google is big enough that their VM instances probably have way less constraints. Good tho, gonna be big competition directed straight at each others products. I'm excited.
How Does it Compare to Copilot and Codex?
Microsoft today at the Build conference demonstrated GitHub Copilot's built-in backend coding agent, emphasizing similar bug fixing and feature implementation workflows.
Jules similarly integrates the entire loop of planning, diff generation, and PR creation into a single tool, which could reduce boilerplate code for teams already using Google Cloud.
Some developers are already eager, impatiently joining the waiting list:
AI SAT(@RubberDucky_AI) shared his usage screenshot:
Thanks... already joined
And Anton P. 🇮🇹(@AntonDVP) also said:
Looks awesome. Already registered... waiting!
Usage Guide
Visit jules.google.com
Log in with your Google account
Accept the privacy statement (one-time)
Sync your GitHub account
Complete the OAuth process
Select all or specific repositories you want to connect to Jules
After connecting, you will see a repository selector, where you can choose the repositories you want Jules to handle and a prompt input box.
Developer Reactions
However, some developers have raised questions about certain aspects of Jules.
JustInEchoes(@JustInEchoes) complained:
Another agent that requires GitHub to operate? Forget it...
Alex 3am 🌘(@malenchi_alex) pointed out:
Don't like the UI 🙂
And Kim Asmus(@kimasmes) asked:
Didn't they plan to launch a cloud-based AI-first IDE in 2022? Where is it?
But Rai, who used it, said: Tried it, very good!
Google's move signals a broader shift from code completion towards full-agent development.
If the generous free tier and tight GitHub integration can withstand the load, Jules could become the default entry point for teams already experimenting with the Gemini API.
Open questions include how well the agent performs beyond Python and JavaScript, and whether Google can match GitHub's repository-level context depth.
For now, developers have a low-risk way to let AI "submit a PR" and see how it works.
Jules is now listed on the Google Labs experiments page and its standalone marketing website. Developers can log in immediately or watch a scheduled AMA on the Labs Discord server at 22:30 UTC on May 21, 2025.
The AI Programming War is Heating Up
Not to mention OpenAI's launch of Codex last week, just as Google released Jules, Microsoft also made a stunning move – announcing that it will open source the AI editor features of VS Code!
This is undoubtedly a response to the challenges from various AI programming competitors.
The VS Code team stated plainly in their blog on May 19: "We believe the future of code editors should be open source and AI-driven." They plan to open source the code for the GitHub Copilot Chat extension under the MIT license and then refactor it into the VS Code core.
This decision has sparked lively discussions in the developer community, with some happy and some concerned. Netizen @morew4rd even proposed a counter-idea: "Now is the time to fork VS Code, remove all default AI features... and then sell it for $19.95 per year."
Meanwhile, Anthropic wasn't idle either:
Claude is set to launch new coding features on May 22.
According to the announcement by Alex Albert (@alexalbert__), the "Code with Claude" event will start at 9:30 AM Pacific Time on May 22 and will also be livestreamed via anthropic.com/events. It is said that "a lot of new things are brewing, and they smell great."
The entire AI programming tool ecosystem is entering a white-hot phase!
Google has Jules, Microsoft has Copilot, Anthropic has Claude, OpenAI has Codex, and each is vying to launch its own AI programming assistant.
This AI programming war has brought an unprecedented "spring" to developers. Programmers who have had it tough for a long time are finally receiving unprecedented attention – countless new tools are scrambling to provide you with better service, of course –
They also want to empty your wallet in the name of helping you change the world!
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