Google REALLY wants developers to use its AI coding tools

Mark the cal: The AI coding tools war has begun.

A free version of Gemini Code Assist, Google’s enterprise-focused AI coding tool, is now available for solo developers, the tech giant announced yesterday, as it ramps up efforts to compete with Microsoft in the developer tools space.

Gemini Code Assist can generate entire code blocks, complete code as you write, and provide general coding assistance via a chatbot interface.

• The tool’s free tier also comes with generous usage limits, including 180,000 snippets of AI-generated code per month – or 90x what competitors offer.
• Google, which was slower than competitors to release an AI coding tool, is hoping this high ceiling will make its coding assistant more popular with students, hobbyists, freelancers, and startups. Subscription plans with additional features start at $19/month/user.

Demand side: 62% professional developers used AI coding tools last year, compared to 44% in 2023, according to data from Stack Overflow.

📧 Zoom out: With its approach, Google is hearkening back to its early Gmail days. In 2004, when the company was working to draw new users to the free service, it started offering 1GB of free storage per account – or 250x–500x more than the then-leading email services run by Yahoo and Microsoft.

This growth strategy ended up working better than a meticulously cared-for Toyota after a tuneup, catapulting the tech giant to its current position as the undisputed king of email with 1.8 billion users.