Google launches Code Assist, its latest challenger to GitHub’s Copilot

Gemini Code Assist is an enterprise-focused AI code completion and assistance tool unveiled by Google at its Cloud Next conference. It functions as both a rebrand and a major update to the previously offered service under the Duet AI branding. Code Assist works through plug-ins for popular editors like VS Code and JetBrains, providing features such as a massive 1 million-token context window for accurate code suggestions and the ability to perform large-scale changes across an entire code base. It supports codebases on-premises and in various services like GitLab, GitHub, and Atlassian’s BitBucket.

The new features of Gemini Code Assist compared to the former Duet AI include:

• A rebranding from Duet AI to Gemini Code Assist.
• A significant update with a 1 million-token context window, the largest in the industry, allowing for more accurate code suggestions and large-scale code transformations.
• Support for codebases that are on-premises or hosted on services like GitLab, GitHub, and Atlassian’s BitBucket.
• The ability for companies to fine-tune Code Assist based on their internal code base.
• Partnerships with developer-centric companies to integrate their knowledge bases into Gemini.

Gemini Code Assist is currently in preview, with its availability expected to be announced following the preview phase. It will be accessible through plug-ins for popular code editors such as VS Code and JetBrains.

Gemini Code Assist differs from GitHub’s Copilot Enterprise in several ways:

• It offers a 1 million-token context window, which is significantly larger than what competitors provide, leading to more accurate code suggestions and the ability to handle large chunks of code.
• It can be customized based on a company’s internal code base to improve the quality of code assistance.
• It supports codebases that are on-premises or in different services like GitLab, GitHub, and Atlassian’s BitBucket, which is not currently offered by most competitors.