Google Unveils Jules Tools: A Powerful AI Command Line Coding Assistant

Google Unveils Jules Tools: A Powerful AI Command Line Coding Assistant

In a move that reaffirms Google’s deepening commitment to AI-driven developer productivity, the tech giant has unveiled Jules Tools, a new command line interface (CLI) for its asynchronous AI coding agent, Jules.

While command line tools might seem old-fashioned in an era dominated by graphical interfaces and web-based IDEs, Google’s launch demonstrates that the terminal still has an essential place in modern software development.

A New Way to Work with Google’s AI Agent

Jules Tools allows developers to work directly with Jules from the command line. Jules itself, introduced in December 2024, is an AI-powered coding assistant designed to integrate seamlessly with existing repositories. It understands the full project context and can automatically perform a variety of development tasks — from writing unit tests and building new features to fixing bugs and updating dependencies.

According to Jiahao Cai and A.K. Kulkarni from Google Labs, the new tool was built to match how real developers work:

Making AI Development Seamless

Google explains that Jules operates asynchronously — meaning it runs in the background, handling tasks remotely without disrupting the developer’s main workflow. When a task begins, Jules spins up a temporary virtual machine (VM), performs the work, and sends back a pull request when done.

With Jules Tools, developers now gain direct control and visibility over these processes. The CLI makes Jules not only programmable but also scriptable and customizable, enabling developers to:

• Integrate Jules into automated workflows

• Execute AI-assisted commands directly in the terminal

• Monitor and steer real-time code generation

As Google puts it, “Think of Jules Tools as both a dashboard and a command surface for your coding agent.”

TUI Support and Cross-Tool Integration

For developers who prefer interactive workflows, Jules Tools also includes a Text-based User Interface (TUI), offering a more visual and intuitive experience right inside the terminal.

In addition, Jules Tools can be composed with other CLI utilities, allowing seamless interaction with existing developer toolchains — from version control systems to testing frameworks and CI/CD pipelines.

Getting Started

Setting up Jules Tools is straightforward. Developers can install it globally via npm:

npm install -g @google/jules

Once installed, users can begin interacting with Jules directly through the terminal, invoking commands to generate code, fix issues, or even create feature branches automatically.

Google’s Expanding AI Developer Ecosystem

The launch of Jules Tools is another step in Google’s broader vision to integrate AI across every stage of software development. By combining Jules’ coding intelligence with the simplicity and control of the command line, Google aims to redefine how developers write, test, and deploy code.

While other AI-powered CLIs have appeared in recent months, Google’s offering stands out for its deep integration with repositories, asynchronous execution model, and strong automation features.

In essence, Jules Tools isn’t just another command line utility — it’s a powerful bridge between human developers and Google’s evolving AI ecosystem. By keeping developers in their natural workflow environment while adding the intelligence of an autonomous agent, Google has created a tool that’s both familiar and revolutionary.